RWBY: Age of Demons
by Cap.Zeus
Summary: Four months have passed since the Fall of Beacon and the death of Pyrrha Nikos. Team RNJR is out searching for the truth but what they find isn't promising. When a new threat looms over the world of Remnant, the huntsmen must heal old wounds if they are to stop the age of demons. (Post Volume 3 AU. I don't own RWBY. Rated M for future content)
1. Chapter 1: Wilderness

**So, here it is. My first RWBY fic for this site. Honestly this is an idea I've had in my mind since Volume 2 and I've been fixing little details here and there ever since. Now this is HUGE in the AU department because while it does have Cinder and company, there is a different main villain. Now that that's out of the way, hopefully you guys enjoy. Read and review. RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and only the OC characters are mine.**

Chapter 1: Wilderness

Somewhere on the island of Patch, just off the coast of Vale, there were four young huntsmen and huntresses resting at the camp they had made for the night. Their weapons were placed next to a nearby tree for easy access when the time came for their watch. Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Jaune Arc were all still fast asleep; they had been for hours. Ruby Rose was sitting by the fire the four of them had made and watched the embers and smoke rise into the sky. Ruby had actually decided to let her friends sleep, even though it was almost time for Nora to take watch. She wanted this time to think, mainly on the motives of the girl responsible for their current situation. Why would Cinder, seemingly a fellow huntress, want to destroy the city? Why would she let the Grimm in, knowing hundreds if not thousands or millions would die? Revenge? Power? Ruby didn't know the answers but she hoped that she and her new team would find them once they reached Mistral. If Cinder really did attend Haven, then someone there might be able to help. Hopefully anyway.

As she watched the fire, she heard something move in behind her. With Crescent Rose at the ready, the young huntress turned around to see what was hiding in the foliage. "Please don't be a Grimm," she said softly under her breath. Fortunately, that wasn't the case; it was just a raccoon that decided to investigate the campsite. Ruby let out a sigh of relief and lowered her scythe. "Don't scare me like that little guy," she said smiling at the raccoon. The small creature then ran off back into the wilderness surrounding the huntsmen after staring at Ruby for a few seconds. "At least it wasn't a Grimm. Would hate to wake the others up right now," she pauses for a moment, "Oh I hope I didn't just jinx things…". As luck would have it, there no interruptions till morning.

Several hours later, Ruby had finally gotten some sleep and Jaune took over till morning. Unfortunately for him however, Ruby's luck went unshared. He too heard something behind him in the foliage and as soon as he drew his sword, a Creep came charging out of the bushes. Jaune quickly brought his shield up to block the Creep's charge and then slashed at it's neck with his sword. The blade sliced through the monster's neck cleanly, its head hitting the dirt with a low thud. "I'm getting better at this," Jaune said proudly as the Creep's body vanished before him. "Hope you saw that...Pyrrha," he said with a weak smile. When he first heard the news, Jaune blamed himself and fell into a state of mourning and depression. Ren and Nora were there to help him out of it, of course, and he took a certain piece of advice to heart, more so than others. Nora tried to comfort him during that time of mourning by saying Pyrrha was a guardian angel now, HIS guardian angel. She would always be watching him, protecting him and giving him strength, strength he would need on the journey ahead(Of course, Ren was the one to add all the details to Nora's statement). Besides always keeping Pyrrha in mind, Jaune had another thought on his mind: what to do with her killer. Cinder Fall had escaped after Ruby froze the Dragon to the top of Beacon Tower. How she got away instead of being frozen is just another question added to the list that just kept getting longer. But, Jaune couldn't decide if he should get revenge, resulting in Cinder's death, or if he should just toss her into a cell and let her serve out a prison sentence. Either way, Pyrrha would be avenged. Ruby smiled when she saw Jaune kill the Grimm before she even got to grab Crescent Rose. "You really are getting better Jaune," she said beaming.

"Thanks. I've...been practicing on my own. Glad to see it's all paying off," Jaune replied.

"She'd be proud Jaune. I know she would be."

Jaune smiled at her and put his blade back into the sheathe part of his shield. "I know she would be proud too. She'd be ecstatic when we find Cinder and take her down."

"And Emerald, Mercury, and that Faunus guy, Adam. We have to."

"We will Ruby. We will. For everyone they hurt. For Penny, Pyrrha, Yang, all of them. "

"Speaking of Yang...I hope she's doing ok. It's just...not like her to be that way. Broken...I mean. "

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure she's getting better. She won't stay that way for long."

"Heh...yeah you're right. She's probably up and training by now. Come on. We need to take a look at the map before Nora and Ren wake up. See if there are any villages between us and the coast."

 **A/U: Short chapter yes but trust me, they'll get long. I plan to update at least weekly if not twice a week.**


	2. Chapter 2 New Day, New Surprises

Nora was the last one to wake, despite Ren's constant attempts. Though it did make sense that one would be a heavy sleeper if they were as hyper as Nora. Ruby and Jaune were currently going over the route they were taking to reach the coast. There was at least one village in their direct path towards the coast, but still relatively situated in the woods. "We can stop for supplies there and maybe the night as well," Jaune said pointing to the village on the map. Nora was still a bit drowsy so she just nodded sleepily. Ruby giggled softly to herself but then regained her composure as if Weiss was standing next to her. "It's at least a 6 hour walk to the village so if set out now, we can make it there by…..what? One o'clock? Two?"

"Close. We'll get there by three," Ren said.

"So long...as we can still have pancakes before we go...I'm ok with this," Nora said still half-asleep.

Ruby and Jaune just smiled at that. Always count on Nora to bring some humor into the situation, no matter how dire. Even when facing a giant scorpion with armor as thick as that of an Atlesian Paladin, if not thicker, she would still crack a joke or exclaim "Smash!" when she brought her hammer down on the head of the monster. Even Ren still found it a bit humorous though he hid the emotion well. The four huntsmen began packing shortly after, Nora slowly waking up, mumbling about how she could really use some pancakes right about now.

Once everyone was packed and ready, the four set out to the village. Each of them had their weapons at the ready in case of Grimm or any other dangers. It's the unexpected that's always more dangerous though. As the four young warriors headed towards the village, three hours into their trek, they began to hear voices from somewhere off in the distance. "You guys hear that too right?" Nora asked the group, slowly reaching for her hammer.

"Yes...I hear it as well," Ren replied as he drew Storm Flower. Similarly, Jaune drew his sword and Ruby prepared Crescent Rose.

"Ok...you two go left. Me and Jaune will go right. And keep quiet ok? This just became a stealth mission," Ruby said, with as much confidence as she could muster.

"Trust me, stealth is my specialty!" Nora stated proudly, receiving looks of doubt and amusement from the others. "What?" the red-haired girl said confused.

"Nothing. Just...make sure you don't get spotted," Ruby said with a light laugh. Nora smirked and went with Ren to circle around to the left of where the voices were coming from. Jaune and Ruby did the same to the right. When the two groups reached a good position for a crossfire in case it was White Fang, their eyes widened with shock and horror when they saw a small force of soldiers in advanced armor. Each of the soldiers wore a jet-black dome shaped helmet with two gas-mask like vents on the front. The eye slits were two pairs of glowing red line-shaped visors. Some of the soldiers have gold and white helmets, denoting ranks of captain, and all of them were armed with powerful assault rifles, shotguns, and grenades. But the scariest thing about them wasn't the fact they were armed, it was the fact they had a tank. A massive vehicle that had no treads, seemingly floating there, and armed with a massive central cannon and two smaller outer turrets with two barrels each.

"Oh...my...god…," Jaune said as quietly as he could, "That's a tank. THAT is a tank...with guys who look more well armed than a soldier from Atlas. I think we should just...turn around...and leave them to their own devices for now." Ruby looks at him but before she could say anything, a third voice spoke out. "Drop your weapons...huntsmen," it said, accompanied by the reading of rifles.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Ruby said with a sigh. Two of the armor-clad soldiers had both of their rifles pointed at her and Jaune's heads. "One wrong move...and we pull the trigger," the second one stated in a gravelly voice. Slowly, Ruby and Jaune lowered their weapons onto the ground.

"Now...kick them over to me," the one with the gravelly voice said. The two of them begrudgingly obliged. One of the two soldiers then turned on his built in wrist-communicator and spoke into it, "Sargeant, this is Sentry 4. I've got two huntsmen on the eastern perimeter. Orders?" The commlink beeped after a while and a third voice spoke out of it. "Funny...I just got a report from Sentry 6 that we had two on the western perimeter. We have a full team on our hands. Bring them to me at once. I wish to have a word with them. Also um...small detail….do these two have a hammer as well?"

"Sir?" the soldier asked quizzically.

"According to Sentry 6, one of the two huntsmen they captured had a massive hammer...which they used to strike Sentry 6-2 in a very...critical...area. I want to make sure that doesn't happen again because he's going to be in the hospital for a long time from that."

"Oh...I...see...well...maybe then you'll be glad to know they're armed with a scythe equipped with a high-caliber sniper rifle and a sword and shield."

"Oh good...it's only the one."

"That's Nora for you. Always aiming for a weak spot," Jaune said with a chuckle and received a hit to the back of the head with the butt of one of the soldier's guns.

"Shut up huntsmen," the second soldier barked at them.

"Anyway," the voice on the commlink continued, "bring them to me at once. Bring them to me UNHARMED." The second soldier heard that and instantly face-palmed because, no doubt the reason for such emphasis on "unharmed" was because the sound of the gun hitting someone was audible through the receiver.

"Yes sir. At once sir." The soldier ended the call and motioned his gun to the two young warriors. "Both of you, on your feet. You're coming with us." With that, the soldier brought out a pair of handcuffs with a hard-light tether connecting the clasps.

 **A/U: And thus the first arc begins! Team RNJR is captured by a new unknown military force and they have a tank. Hopefully Nora doesn't get in the driver seat. As always, read, review and enjoy.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Man in Charge

The soldiers led Ruby and Jaune through the camp, which was much larger than they expected. What they had discovered was only a fraction of the entire camp. The number of soldiers seemed to range close to the hundreds, maybe at most 220. Ruby and Jaune were still wondering who these people were and how they were so well equipped. Not even Atlas had this kind of technology. Not yet at least. As they passed, several of the soldiers looked at them, causing silence to fall across the camp. Eventually they were brought to a large tent and tossed inside where Nora and Ren were on their knees in similar restraints. "Oh hey guys!" Nora said cheerfully, "About time you showed up."

"So how'd you two get captured?" Jaune asked the two.

"Ohhhhhhh you know...they just...got the drop on us I guess."

"Nora was talking about how stealth was her specialty, they heard us, she used her hammer to hit one of them in the crotch, and now we're here," Ren said calmly.

"Reeeeeeeeeeen! Did you have to give them ALL the details?" Nora complained to her partner.

Jaune let out a small chuckle. "It's fine Nora. Though with us it really was because they got the drop on us. We were watching them and then suddenly we hear guns being loaded behind us."

"Oh...so...they...didn't hear you?"

"Nope."

"So...my cover-up was actually what happened with you….ok…" but she was cut off when she heard the massive metallic thud of someone approaching. A man wearing black armor, similar in design to the soldiers outside but with red accents starting at the shoulders going down to his mid-forearm, across the front of the helmet, and down his back starting at the neck. He's carrying a massive sword, specifically a Liuyedao that's been stylized with a King Taijitu on the blade itself. The armored man walks in front of the four and stabs his sword into a nearby table and removes his helmet. He has short black hair, green eyes, and a seemingly normal complexion along with a scar over the bridge of his nose.

"So...these are the four little 'intruders' eh?" he said with a smile. "I must admit...not exactly what I had in mind. I was expecting people a little….older. In fact...judging from the looks of you four, I'd say you haven't even finished your first YEAR at Beacon! Kids...I was worried...about KIDS. I swear I can be so paranoid at times. Soldier!" One of the guards walks into the tent.

"Yes sir?"

"Is it really necessary to have the restraints?" the man said, gesturing to the four prisoners.

"But...sir they're huntsmen!" the guard protested.

"No. They're not huntsmen. They're children. Children who have been trained in the art of combat and are very heavily armed….but still children. Remove the restraints. Just keep the weapons out of reach."

The guard looked towards the four young huntsmen, sighed, and pressed some buttons on the device built into his bracer. The hard-light tether keeping the cuffs togethers vanished and the cuffs opened, falling off their wrists.

"I do apologize for that. I thought I was dealing with someone like Goodwitch, Branwen, or hell even Ozpin himself if he decided to show up," the leader of the soldiers said, followed by a slight chuckle.

"Why would you be worried? You have enough firepower to take on Atlas!" Jaune said, surprised that this guy was even slightly worried.

"Firepower isn't the only factor. Skill, determination….ideals. That's the most important. We're mercs, plain and simple. You huntsmen...well...you have no allegiance; you can be paid off; you're basically high-profile mercs. And the older hunters...well...they don't like it when they're called that. They get all pissed off as soon as you MENTION the word. Honestly I just wasn't in the mood for that sort of conversation. If it started, I probably would've just SHOT the person in the leg six times with a pistol."

Everyone was silent at that remark. "Are...you serious?" Jaune asked, visibly shaken.

"Well...I wouldn't shoot one of you four. "

The four of them let out a collective sigh of relief.

"But...if you're mercs...why are you out here and not in one of the big cities?" Ruby asked.

"A good question indeed. "Mercenary" is only one way to put it. We are, in fact, a private military corporation. Our founder, Mr. Nix, will normally give our services to the highest bidder and only if they meet certain criteria. He's not just an immoral warmonger who profits from people's misfortune. Oh no,no,no, he is a compassionate man. In fact...that compassion is why we're out here. "

"Mercenaries...with compassion? A rare sight," Ren said in a tone of disbelief. Nora knew there was more to it but she couldn't figure it out.

"I suppose so. But, as I said, we're out here because of Mr. Nix's compassion. He watched the Vytal Festival and the following attack of Grimm. He became increasingly concerned with the safety of the outlying villages, those places outside the natural barriers of the kingdoms with little to no way of major defense aside from a few guns. If the Grimm are getting bolder, with or without help, then those villages won't stand a chance. "

"So...you're out here to defend the villages?" Ruby asked.

"Of course."

"No doubt, you'll charge them for every lien they have," Ren said, almost bitterly.

"Actually no. This job is free of charge to them. Not a lien spent for our services."

"For some reason...I don't believe you."

"Oh believe what you will, it doesn't make that much difference. Soon we will shall part ways and we'll never have to see each other again. "

"Unless you guys are heading to the same village we are then you'll be seeing a whole lot of us," Nora said with a grin.

"And...prey tell WHICH village are you heading to?"

"Did...the map have the name of the place?" Nora asked her companions.

"I don't know," Jaune said, almost reaching for the map before he remembered that they took it.

"Well...where is it?" the leader inquired.

"Three hours walk from here, close to the coast."

"Ah. Then we share a destination. You may accompany us if you wish."

"And you think...we'll just walk side-by-side with a bunch of sellswords, ready to betray someone at the mere mention of a higher profit?" Ren said.

"So far...everything you've said has been...negative towards me and my men….I wonder why that is," the man said almost menacingly. The only response he got from Ren was silence and a look that seemed to say, "I'm going to kill you...I just need a reason." Before the conversation could continue, a soldier rushed into the tent, rifle at the ready. "Sir, we have a problem!" the man shouted.

"What is it?" the leader said, putting his helmet back on.

"Grimm! A massive pack of them. Heading right at us!"

"Tell the men to form up! Two lines of constant fire. And give the huntsmen back their weapons! You four are helping us,whether you like it or not, because if those Grimm rip us apart...they'll be coming for you next. Especially you," the man points to Ren. "By the way...the name's Lazu. Commander Michael Lazu." With that, the man grabs his sword and runs out of the tent.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Nora says grabbing her hammer and running after the commander, prompting the others to do the same.

 **(A/U: Another week, another two chapters ready to be posted. Now for those wondering about the commander, Lazu is meant to mean Lazuli as in Lapis Lazuli and his weapon- a liuyedao- is a type of Chinese sword or dao used by both cavalry and infantry, with a moderate curve along the length of the blade)**


	4. Chapter 4: Unlikely Allies

The soldiers had formed into two rows, those in front kneeling down and those behind standing. Each one of them was standing ready as the ground shook from the sheer amount of incoming beasts. In front of them was a massive pack of Grimm, a mix of various creatures including Beowolves, Creeps, and Ursai. Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren were standing next to the mercenaries on the front lines along with the commander. "Heavy artillery, are you ready?" the commander says into his wrist-comm.

"Yes sir. Awaiting target designation," a voice responded. The commander pulled out a targeting designator, its red targeting laser emanating from the lower left of it. The red beam shone brightly into the horde and a click could be heard from the device, followed by a massive, somewhat high-pitched blast. An explosion rings out in the middle of the charging Grimm, sending dozens of Beowolves and Creeps flying into trees or completely obliterating them. The commander smiled under his helmet as he held up his hand and signaled to his troops to open fire. Bullets flew into the horde of monsters accompanied by the volley of tank shots from further back. Ruby and the others joined in on the volley and blasted any Grimm they saw. Jaune, despite lacking a ranged weapon, decided to join in on the volley. He grabbed a pistol from one of the nearby armory tents and began firing. At first, he was a terrible shot, missing every mark. After a while, he managed to get a hit off on one of the Grimm-a creep to be specific. "I think I'm getting the hang of this thing," Jaune said proudly as he shot a Beowulf, only grazing it sadly, leaving it with a distinctive scar. He then realized he was out of ammo as the gun started clicking.

At that exact moment, the Grimm reached the lines of soldiers. "SWORDS!" the commander shouted to his men, all of whom drew swords and shields. The soldiers then brought their shields up as the Grimm threw themselves against the massive wall of metal. Ruby and the others rushed into battle, slicing the Grimm apart or in Nora's case, smashing them with a hammer. The soldiers began fighting the Grimm with their blades, several slicing the Grimm into pieces while others were tossed into the air by swings from Beowolf Alphas. Two Ursa Majors charged towards Commander Lazu but he didn't flinch. As soon as the beasts were in range, one of them swung their massive claws at him but the commander brought up his arm as a collapsible kite shield extended from his gauntlet. He parried the Ursa's strike and countered by slicing its arm off with his own blade, the severed limb quickly evaporating soon after. The Grimm roared in outrage and swung with it's available arm. The commander jumped over the strike and landed on the Ursa's shoulders. He swung his blade as he jumped off the beast, slicing its head clean off. The second Ursa tried to attack at a fast pace but the human in front of it parried or countered every strike, sending sparks as the blade met the natural armor of the monster. Getting annoyed, the commander jumped back and his sword began to glow. As the Ursa tried to close the distance between them, its opponent swung his blade and fired a crescent of energy at it, slicing the giant major in half lengthways. A Beowulf Alpha then tried to pounce on the commander but all that managed to do was ensure the beast was gutted as the commander's blade cut a massive gash right down its gut. "Ah, Grimm. Always so predictable," Michael said as he turned and swung his blade into the neck of another Beowolf, severing its head from its shoulders with its black blood staining the commander's weapon.

As the battle raged on, Ruby noticed two things. The first was that Ren was fighting far more aggressively than he normally does. Usually, Ren fights in a way that makes him seem in control of the fight from the very start. It's like he's planned out everything: what strengths and weaknesses his enemy has, what measures they're going to use to conceal them, what their next move before they make it, how he's going to counter it and how he's going to beat them. Right now, there seemed to be less of that tactical brilliance and more swift brutality, almost like Nora in a way. If Nora used two machine pistols with blades attached to them that is. Ren was relentless in his attacks, blasting the Grimm for a few minutes longer than was needed. This just wasn't like him. Ruby began thinking that maybe it had something to do with the mercenaries.

The second thing she noticed was something about the Grimm. They weren't acting differently but there was a slight change in their appearance. Something so subtle, she almost didn't notice it. Ruby was fighting with one of the Beowolf Alphas, dodging its claw strikes and then slamming her scythe-blade into the base of its neck. She was ready to pull the trigger and cut the beast in two when she noticed its eyes flash blue for a split second as it growled at her. She pulled the trigger and killed the beast afterwards but the image still stuck with her. Blue-eyed Grimm? The Grimm have always had red eyes and the only ones with any other color were the mutations she encountered with her team in Mountain Glenn and Forever Fall. She did always hate those exploding Creeps.

Eventually, the Grimm were driven back by the mercenaries, killing any Grimm stupid enough to still try and fight. Most of the beasts were smart and fled though. It looks like that, amazingly, the soldiers only suffered minor injuries from the attack. "Well...that went well. Right guys?" Nora said with her normal level of cheerfulness.

"For the most part, yeah," Jaune replied.

"Hey...Ren?" Ruby walked up him, putting Crescent Rose back into its dormant form. "Something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong Ruby," Ren says as he puts StormFlower back into its holsters.

"You sure? Cause...ever since we talked with the commander over there, you've been acting...different."

"It's nothing Ruby."

"Ren...I'm just trying to help."

"I know...but I don't need help with this. I have everything under control."

"Would...you at least tell me what's going on?"

Ren stood in silence for a moment but then replied, "Not now. Not here. Not where Nora can hear me."

 **(A/U: So, over the next few chapters there's gonna be a few more reveals including my version of Nora and Ren's past and why Ren hates mercenaries. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	5. Chapter 5: Orphaned

As the mercenaries continued to fix the damaged done by the horde of Grimm, Ren took Ruby into the tent which was going to be their quarters until they reached the village. Nora and Jaune were helping the mercenaries outside as well. Ren let out a sigh as he sat down cross legged. Ruby sat across from as she placed Crescent Rose next to her. "So...what did you want to tell me?" Ruby asked.

"You said that...I was acting strange ever since we met the commander. The reason behind it...it's connected to why me and Nora are orphans…," Ren replied.

Ruby put her hand over her mouth in shock. "R-ren, I...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried; I had no ide-"

"It's fine Ruby," Ren said, cutting her off, "I had the feeling someone would notice eventually. I'm just surprised it wasn't Nora or Jaune to ask."

"Well...I guess I just have good eyes," the silver-eyed huntress said with a slight giggle.

Ren gave a weak grin but then it vanished and he sighed. "You...you want to know the whole story don't you?"

"I don't want to pry but...I...I am curious."

"Very well then. At the time...me and Nora were living in a village, not unlike the one we're going to now. When compared to Vale, it's nothing special but it was home. Nora and I were the same age but she doesn't remember all the details. Either that...or she does and just blocks them out. No one can blame her. It was probably the most traumatic experience in our lives, what drove us to be huntsmen. Now...at first, our village didn't have many Grimm problems. Yes there were small ones, such as a Beowolf getting too close to the borders or a Boarbatusk ruining someone's crops but nothing too major. Then...they came. They called themselves Scorpio, a mercenary group comprised entirely of former Atlas military personnel. They came to the elder of our village with some terrible news. Grimm activity had spiked in the area and we were in danger. At first...the elder was hesitant to agree to paying them but...then a King Taijitu attacked. We didn't have the firepower needed to stop it and, like those heroes in the stories, the mercs came in to 'save the day' and slay the beast. The elder's mind was made up for him and he agreed to pay their incredibly high price." Ruby was already enthralled by the tale Ren was telling and Ren was doing his best to control the anger the memories brought up.

" Every time they killed a Grimm, they took as much lien as they could...greedy bastards. Ever since they showed up, more and more Grimm started attacking our village and each time they got worse. At first it was the smaller Grimm, Beowolves Ursai, Creeps, Griffons. Then came the alphas and majors and then finally, we were dealing with more King Taijitus. For every Grimm the mercs killed, they upped the price of their 'protection' and when we didn't have any lien to spare they took a share of our crops. Eventually, people started to get suspicious. We never had this much Grimm activity before; never in the history of our village have we ever faced the threat of a King Taijitu. I doubt they were even native to the area." More of Ren's anger started coming to the surface at this point.

"Sure enough, those suspicions were proven true when two of the villagers found a cage with a Creep Alpha inside with Scorpio's logo on it. They couldn't think of a believable explanation to why it was there and, since they had a 'reputation to uphold', they opted to silence everyone. They readied their rifles and drew their blades and went on a killing spree. Houses were raided and set ablaze and anyone who tried to fight back were gunned down. Among those who tried to fight back...were our parents. My father and mother were gunned down at the same time by two of the mercs...Nora's father was killed by a stab to the chest and her mother was shot. Somehow...me and Nora were able to survive as the rest of the village burned. Nora was spared from seeing all of that because she was asleep. When she woke up...I tried to tell her but….she was already crying for her mom and dad. I didn't even get a chance to try...I just tried to calm her down. It took me two more years to gather the courage needed to tell her. Once I did...she cried for hours. Keep in mind...at the time we were in an orphanage in Vale after a huntsmen found us in the ruins the day after the slaughter. Once she knew...we both made a vow; a vow to become huntsmen to make sure something like would never happen again. I know Nora seems cheerful and happy, far more so than she should be with that kind of past. She's accepted not to cling to the past so much. Remembering why we're fighting, why you search for something, is fine. When you descend into a state of pure depression and constant mourning...it's unhealthy. When we finally got into Signal, we finally had the means to keep our vows. And now...well...now we're here, about to work with mercenaries, the same kind of people who took away our home. Our families."

Ruby was holding back tears as Ren finished his story. "R-ren...I-I…" Ruby tried to say something, her voice wavering , but she couldn't manage to say the words. There was a sudden gust of wind and rose petals that seemed to materialize from nowhere. Ren's eyes widened as he realized that now...Ruby was hugging him and crying into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Ren…" the young girl said between sobs.

"Ruby…."

"Ren...no one should have to go through that...no one. And...and believe me...I know what it's like to lose a parent...I lost my mom...but you….you lost everything...your home...your family…. N-nora too…"

Ren wasn't entirely sure what to say so he just returned her hug. Ruby eventually stopped sobbing and wiped away any remaining tears.

"I suppose...we all have something in common now. We've all lost someone close to us," Ren said with a slight sigh.

"Besides that, we all have awesome weapons, we're all first years that survived through a Grimm apocalypse back in Vale, and we're all hunting for the truth behind it," Ruby said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"True," Ren said, giving a light smile of his own.

"Hey guys!" Nora pokes her head into the tent with a grin. "We're getting ready to leave! You guys coming too or what?"

"Yeah, we're coming," Ruby replied.

 **(A/U: And there you have it, my version of Ren and Nora's backstory. Also, I'm not shipping Ruby and Ren here cause trust me there will be Renora in this but later on. This is just team building/character building. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	6. Chapter 6: Darker Intentions

As Ruby and Ren talked about his recent behavior, one of the mercenaries approached the commander who was currently overseeing the preparations to depart.

"Commander," the soldier saluted him.

"At ease soldier," the commander replied, "What is it?"

"There's a communication for you. It's...from him."

Commander Lazu was silent for a moment, his eyes wide with shock under his helmet. "Answer the call. Tell him I will be there shortly. "

Several minutes later, the commander walks into his tent and kneels before a hologram.

"Report commander," the man on the other end of the holo-call said, his voice robotically distorted.

"Of course sir. We're about to move out to the village and we will arrive in three hours. From there...we will begin testing, immediately," Lazu replied.

"Excellent commander. Now...what about them?"

"T-them? Who...who are you referring to sir?"

"You know who I am referring to. The huntsmen. The four who stumbled upon your forces while wandering through the wilderness. What do you plan to do with them?" the man's words had a hidden hint of malice in them.

"At the moment...nothing. They know NOTHING of what our true mission is so they are not an immediate threat."

"Not an immediate threat? Not. An immediate. Threat? Commander do you have ANY IDEA what you are DEALING with? They are hunting for the TRUTH! They are unknowingly hunting for ME."

"But sir, surely you can handle four children!"

"Did you ever consider the possibility of them forging an alliance with HER, Commander?"

Lazu's eyes widened again with shock and horror at the realization. "N-no...I...I had not considered that. B-but she's all the way over in Mistral and the only way these four will arrive there will be as ashes scattered to the winds if the tests go according to plan. Besides they would NEVER ally with her! Not after what she has done to them!"

"Well, commander, unfortunately for you, you're wrong. She isn't in MISTRAL anymore. She fled the kingdom."

"B-but surely she could be any-

"To VALE. She escaped to VALE, commander. For all we know, she could be on Patch right now!"

"Then she dies. She'll just be another test subject in this little endeavor. "

"If she does INDEED show up...she had BETTER die. But not from the test...from your blade."

"M-my blade?"

"I want proof; I want...a trophy. I want my other subordinates to now that the next time they even CONSIDER the act of betrayal, they will perish. With her betrayal going unpunished...it makes me seem weak. And you can attest to the falsity of THAT statement...can't you commander?" the hologram motioned to the commander's face, and no doubt the scar underneath the helmet.

"Indeed I can. I remember that day vividly. It was folly to challenge you as I did. However, unlike then I WILL succeed...my lord."

"Perfect. I expect to hear great things from you in the future commander. GREAT. THINGS." With that, the hologram vanished and the communication ended. Lazu let out a sigh of relief as he stood up and regained his composure. He always felt nervous when his master called; after all, that was how he got the massive scar across his face. He left the tent and walked up to one of the tank engineers.

"Send word to the garrison. I want a status report on their progress."

 **(A/U: So, this chapter was more dialogue, less action, and a bit shorter than the others but it did establish the mercenaries' true purpose as something darker than what they said and that yes, Ren's paranoia and hatred is justified. So think of it as a micro-chapter. As to what "test" Lazu's master means...well that's for later. Th As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	7. Chapter 7: The Village

The preparations were complete and the group of huntsmen and mercenaries departed from the battlefield that was once the mercenary camp. The trek to the village was mostly uneventful and quiet, save for the loud roaring of the tank's engine. The mercenaries weren't exactly the kind for casual conversation, it seemed. Nora however was more than happy to end the lack of conversation to try and question the soldiers on everything: their armor, weapons, where they got a tank from, how did it float, and so on. They didn't answer which saddened the hyperactive huntress who instead tried to strike up a conversation with her teammates. Ruby was certainly in the mood for a lighter conversation after what Ren had told her. Luckily for her, Nora had a different version of her recurring dream of selling Beowolf (or Ursa) pelts where instead of Beowolves or Ursai, she sold the pelts of Boarbatusks. Ruby smiled at this. One could always count on Nora to lighten the mood of an awkwardly silent trek.

Ren was keeping an eye on the mercenaries as they walked on, still wary of any sort of ulterior motive. Commander Lazu was also keeping an eye on the four young warriors tagging along with his soldiers. Knowing well enough that if he doesn't kill these four like his master ordered, a scar across the face would be the least of his problems. However he needed to be patient. One of them was already noticeably on guard around them. If he didn't deal with this quickly, it could be a problem for their plans. Perhaps the mercenary story wasn't the best idea. Once the opportunity presented itself, he would ensure that these huntsmen would die.

Once the three hours had passed, the huntsmen and the soldiers arrived at the small village. As the group walked into the small town, they received varying looks from the people. Some looked to the huntsmen with hope, others with confusion, and even some with discontent. The mercenaries received mainly looks of confusion; all of them seemed to ask the same question. Why were these soldiers here? Two of the village's militia accompanied the elder to meet the mercenaries and huntsmen. The village elder was a boar faunus with black hair, blue eyes and wore a black jacket with silver outlines on the collar. One of the man's tusks was broken and both had some form of engraving on them. The two militia men were clad in similar black jackets and armed with simple rifles, the Dust chambers glowing and ready to be fired. The elder walked up to Commander Lazu who removed his helmet and placed it under his arm. "Greetings elder," the commander said, bowing his head.

"Greetings," the elder replied, "Welcome to Arroyo. Now...who are you and why have you come to our village with a military presence? Are you from Atlas?"

"No, we hail from all four kingdoms. Soldiers from Atlas, Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral, all under a single banner. We have orders to defend this village from the Grimm and White Fang."

"So to do this...you brought a tank?"

"Given how aggressive the Grimm are becoming and how many now make up a pack, the tank will be an immeasurable help to us. Besides, on the way here, we were attacked by a massive pack of Beowolves. Would've died if it weren't for the tank...and the timely help of those four," the commander gestures to the four huntsmen behind him.

"Those four?"

"I know; they're children. But...they are well trained and..seemingly they are veterans of the attacks on Vale."

The elder turns to Ruby who nods to confirm this. "We were just on our way to stop and resupply before we go on our way to Mistral," the young Huntress said with a smile.

"I see," the elder replied. He then turned to the commander and questioned, "I assume you and your men will need lodgings while you're here."

"We have a garrison further out but yes; it would be appreciated," the commander replied.

The elder nodded and motioned for the two militia men to each take them to proper lodgings. One of them was another faunus, a young man with brown hair, blue eyes, and tusks that looked like the ones of the older man who stood to his left. Ruby guessed that they're related in some way. The second man was a normal human with green eyes and black hair. The boar faunus approached the four hunters, putting his weapon away. "Follow me. I'll take you to the inn and we can get you four a place to rest," the faunus said as he lead them away from the mercenaries and towards the village's inn.

Shortly after the huntsmen left, the mercenaries were led by the second man to an abandoned building on the edge of the village. According to their guide, it used to be the private retreat of a local wealthy businessman. However, the man died before he could add the retreat to his will so it went forgotten and fell into disrepair. Some of the more superstitious villagers liked to say it was haunted by his ghost. Their guide chuckled as he finished telling the story to the commander, saying he doesn't believe in ghosts. With that, the man turned around and left to let the mercenaries get settled in. Once he was out of earshot, Commander Lazu turned to his men and said, "Set up the runes in each wing. Even if there isn't a spirit here...it always helps to be cautious. " His men nodded in agreement and set to work setting up their base in the village and placing the runes he mentioned.

Back with the huntsmen, the man guiding them,Malcolm Brans, brought the four of them to a room on the third floor of the inn. The room itself was quite spacious and was specifically made for four people to use at once. The beds were nothing fancy, but then again, while at Beacon, Ruby had made improvised bunk-beds for the team using books and rope. Nora was instantly drawn to the balcony and declared herself "queen of the castle." Malcolm raised an eyebrow and turned to the other three. "Is she always like that?" he asked.

"Pretty much," Ruby said with a smile.

"Just don't get her high on sugar. Or give her coffee. Or both," Jaune added.

"...I probably shouldn't mention the coffee machine downstairs then should I?" Malcolm said quietly. Jaune and Ruby both paled as they imagined a repeat of the last time Nora had gotten a hold of coffee. The horror of it, the destruction; it took three days for Nora to crash and by that time...well, that's a story for another time.

"Ok, now that that's done, you guys have GOT to see this view! You can see the whole village from up here! It's AWESOME!" Nora shouted back to the others.

'Well, I'll let you four get settled. Hopefully you can rest a while and get the supplies you need until you get to...where are you going again?" Malcolm asked.

"We'd...rather not say. Call it a secret mission if you want. We can say what we plan on trying to find though." Jaune replied.

"Alright. What are you looking for then?"

"Answers. Answers about what happened. Answers about why Beacon fell and why...why so many had to die," Jaune could feel the pain coming back a bit when he said that. Malcolm could see it, as well.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for those kind of memories to return. I know all too well how...scaring those can be. "

"It's...it's fine. Wait...you said you knew how those memories are. I don't mean to pry but...how?"

"Let's...just say, personal experience. And I'm sorry for whoever it is you lost in that massacre."

"Thanks. She...she was close to us all. She was...one of the best people you could've met. She was a friend, a mentor, someone you'd look up to. Heck, people used to call her invincible."

When he heard it, realization hit him. "No...you mean her? Pyrrha Nikos? The Invincible Girl?"

"Yep...that's her. She was...my partner...my….my…" Jaune couldn't bring himself to continue. Even after all this time, the pain was a bit too much for him to handle.

"Sorry...I shouldn't have pried from the start. Forgive me. "

"It...it's fine," Jaune said trying to regain his composure.

"Again, I'm sorry. I'll let you be now." With that said, Malcolm walked out and closed the door behind him, leaving team RNJR to get settled and rest. Nora was still outside admiring the view and making the joke about a "view fit for royalty. Which is me." That got chuckles from Ruby and Jaune and a small smile from Ren.

A few hours later, the four of them were getting ready to finally sleep in beds and not sleeping rolls. Nora soon plopped down in her bed and was instantly asleep, as was Jaune. Ruby was just about ready to fall asleep as well when Ren walked up to her. "Ruby...I need to ask a favor."

"Oh? Sure. What do you need Ren?" Ruby replied with a smile.

"I...I want to stay here for a few days..keep an eye on the mercenaries."

"You still don't trust them?"

"No...and I probably never will."

"You know...I was actually planning on staying a few days anyway. I saw something out there...something that might SEEM like nothing but…"

"You feel it's connected to them?"

"Kinda. I mean...it has to do with the Grimm."

"The Grimm? The pack we fought?"

"Yeah. Well...one of the Beowolves anyway. It had blue eyes. Only for a second but...I know what I saw."

"Blue eyed Grimm? There was only ever one other mention of Grimm with different coloration. And that was in your report about the mutant Grimm."

"And those were made remember? What if...what if this was all set-up?"

"We meet the mercenaries, get captured by them, and are forced to trust them with a staged Grimm attack. It makes some sense but there's one thing that throws it off: no one can control the Grimm and even if they could how would they?"

"I don't know but...I know what I saw. That Beowolf's eyes flashed blue for a second before I killed it."

"Well you said we would be staying for a few days anyway. Maybe we'll find the answers here first. Hopefully anyway."

"Yeah...well...it's getting late. Night Ren!"

"Goodnight Ruby."

 **(A/N: Now we're getting the supernatural elements in this. Hopefully, over the next few chapters, those elements won't bring the story down in the eyes of the readers cause those elements will go from being runes set up in a base to creatures of myth. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	8. Chapter 8: Blades of a Jaeger

At the mercenaries' base in the village, one of the tank engineers walked up to Commander Lazu's quarters and knocked. The commander had taken up residence in the study on the second floor of the building. "Sir? I have the report you asked for from the garrison," the engineer said. There was a moment of silence and the sound of metal boots booming on the wooden floor. The two oaken doors opened with Lazu standing behind them. "What do they have to report?" Lazu said sternly. Even without the helmet, his voice was intimidating when it needed to be.

"They say that the Venarox will be ready in at least two more days sir," the engineer replied. Lazu sighed and rubbed his chin in thought.

"One more day...they get one more day to live."

"Sir?"

"Inform the Jaeger. He has four new targets to deal with in one day's time. Leave no bodies."

The engineer nodded and left to convey the message to the Jaeger. He went back downstairs to the communications room, set up in the third guest bedroom. He pressed a few buttons and brought up a hologram of the Jaeger. It was still surprising the mercenaries could keep in contact with the CCTs down. The Jaeger himself was in a full suit of plate armor, mostly jagged yet smooth in some places, and it also seems to resemble a skeleton **(A/N: Think the armor of Zobek's Lieutenant from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2)**. "Jaeger, I have news for you. Direct orders from the Commander," the engineer said as he saluted to the armored warrior.

"He wants me to kill someone right? Alright, who is it this time? Atlesian Specialist? A reporter or private investigator who got too nosy? Or did we finally get a lead on that traitorous bitch?" The Jaeger said with a metallic voice.

"To answer all your questions at once: no. In fact it's not even a single target. It's four." The engineer placed a scroll in the console and pressed a few more buttons. "I'm sending you the intel we have on them." The intel was sent over and Jaeger was silent for a minute before he facepalmed with an audible clang.

"What the HELL is this?!" he said, gesturing to the four images that appeared on screen with a small summary of information beneath them. The images were pictures of Ruby, Nora, Ren, and Jaune. "These are kids. THESE are kids. THESE. ARE. KIDS! How are these PRIORITY ONE TARGETS?!"

The engineer flinched at the outrage the Jaeger was expressing. "You must understand sir; these four are veterans of the Vytal Disaster and now they seek the truth. Which means they seek our master. For the time being, he wishes to remain hidden, as I'm sure you're aware."

"Don't f*cking lecture me on this. I KNOW that he wants to stay hidden. But...kids? Oh for fu-" he stopped himself as he noticed Ruby's and Nora's weapons. "Ok...I take back what I said. These kids have a scythe...that turns into a sniper and a hammer that becomes a grenade launcher. That brings a horrifying image to mind." He shivers at the mere thought of it. "When did he want them dead?"

"He wants them dead by the time the Venarox is prepared."

"Ah. So tomorrow then. Right. We'll be there soon. The huntsmen will be dead by dawn and the test will go as planned. Tell him that."

"Understood, Jaeger." The engineer cut the feed and went to go report to Lazu.

Meanwhile on the Jaeger's end he turned to his "partners" and said"Alright. We have our targets. Once we're ready, we do this quickly, cleanly and quietly. No evidence of what happened. That means...no bodies either. Understood?" His "partners" responded with low hisses of affirmation and the sound of blades being slashed against metal, sending sparks flying. The slashes though didn't have the familiar clanging or ringing sound of metal on metal, but instead a rough screeching noise was heard, like a Grimm ripping through steel. But these creatures were not Grimm and they certainly weren't human. The Jaeger walked past them all and began to gather up equipment he would need to deal with these huntsmen. Shurikens, flashbangs, and of course, his weapons: a simple revolver that he loaded with some kind of special rounds and his sword, the blade was jagged at the hilt but smoothed out all the way to the tip of the blade. He didn't have a sheath for it, or at least it seemed that way. "Now then...let's kill some huntsmen."

The next night, after the four of them were out gathering more supplies for the overseas part of their trek, the door leading out to the balcony was opened from the outside. Through it, stepped the Jaeger and his nightmarish partners. The beasts crawled on all fours, their arms resembling those of a praying mantis. Their eyes glowed with primal fury as they inched towards the beds that the members of team RNJR rested on. The Jaeger raised his hand, signaling the beasts to raise their own blade-like arms and he balled it into a fist. The creatures then swiftly lowered their arms but their targets rolled out of their beds and grabbed their weapons. Each of them-Ruby, Jaune, Nora, and Ren- were still clad in their pajamas.

"Interesting choice of attire huntsmen," the Jaeger said with a sinister chuckle.

Ruby blushed for a moment but shook it off quickly and got to the real problem: the assassin. "Who are you?" she asked, pointing Crescent Rose at the assailants.

"I don't have a name. I am a Jaeger. And these," he motions to the creatures beside him, "are my Wraiths." One of the Wraiths roars at them, its jaws opening horizontally as it does.

"That's not right," Jaune said as he grabbed a scroll to see how much Aura this guy had. Except the bar was already empty. "What the...my...my scroll must be glitching or something."

"Why's that?" Nora said as she readied Magnhild.

"This guy doesn't have Aura!"

"I don't? Well look at that. That must mean I lack a soul. Take them!" The Jaeger said, signaling the Wraiths to rush each of them.

The first Wraith swung at Jaune, who blocked the attack with his shield. The Wraith continued its relentless assault, sending sparks flying with every hit against his shield. The second locked blades with those of StormFlower and made rapid snaps at Ren's face, trying to bite him. He kicked it back and began firing at it, but it dodged all of the shots. The third was practically dancing around Nora with its speed, avoiding every crushing blow that Magnhild delivered. "Stand still you stupid bug!" she shouted in frustration. The fourth locked blades with Crescent Rose furiously, strike after strike was countered perfectly by Ruby. The Jaeger and the fifth Wraith simply watched the fight unfold.

"There's not enough room in here to maneuver!" Ren shouted as he blocked another strike from a Wraith.

"I got an idea!" Nora said as she purposefully missed the Wraith occupied with her and hit the one Ren is fighting, sending it flying into the one trying to attack her and sending them both out of the window. Ruby got the idea and loaded in a clip of gravity dust rounds and prepared herself for the recoil. She always hated this part. She fired and sent both the Wraith and herself flying but the Wraith joined its comrades on a flight out the window and over the balcony it seemed. Jaune kicked the Wraith he was dealing with away and right into another of Nora's hammer swings.

"So...you wish to die under the stars. I can respect that. Let's continue this outside shall we?" the Jaeger said. He then chuckled, ran back to the balcony and jumped back off of it, followed by the fifth Wraith.

Ruby rubbed the back of her head as she got up from the recoil of the gravity blast. "Come on! We got a baddie to deal with!" Nora said as she ran to the balcony, followed by Jaune, Ren and Ruby. Nora then propelled herself forward with a blast from Magnhild and tried to bring the massive warhammer down on the Jaeger's head. He drew his sword and blocked the crushing blow and with his free hand, he drew his pistol and fired off a shot. Nora's eyes widened in shock as she was knocked back and her Aura was instantly broken.

"Nora!" Ren rushed to her side as she flew back.

"I-I'm fine," Nora said weakly, "but that shot...my Aura's broken. In ONE shot! How?!"

The Jaeger laughed sinisterly and responded, "It's a specific anti-human weapon. Special rounds designed specifically for the purpose of shattering Aura. It's AMAZING what can be accomplished with one of the planet's greatest minds when it comes to Aura."

Ren aimed StormFlower at the Jaeger and opened fire but the armored assassin either dodged the shots or deflected them. The assassin pointed his blade at the four and his Wraiths charged forth once again. However, before the first Wraith could land a strike, it jerked to the side as black blood erupted from its skull.

"WHAT?!" the Jaeger said turning to see where the shot came from.

"I had a feeling you'd need some help," the shooter said as it's revealed to be Malcolm clad in the armor of an Atlesian soldier.

"Malcolm?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"I told you earlier that I knew that pain from personal experience. Just didn't say how. "

'How did you kno-", Nora tried to say but was cut off before she could continue.

"Well you guys weren't exactly quiet. Which is saying something when an assassin and Wraiths are involved."

"You know what these things are?" Ruby asked.

"An old Atlesian legend. The Wraiths were said to be hellish creatures that would come after Huntsmen if they strayed too far into the mountains. They were thought to be a legend…"

"Until now," Ren finished.

"Oh so THAT'S where they ended up!" the Jaeger said with an unusual joy. "But...enough of the small talk. It's time to do what I came here to do: kill Huntsmen. And if a damn mongrel Faunus wants to get in my way and join them, so be it," the assassin turned to the fifth and final Wraith, "You handle the mongrel. The kid with the scythe is mine." The Wraith nodded and jumped down to the street level to face Malcolm, who drew an Atlesian collapsible sword. The monster roared at him and rushed the Faunus. As the Wraith's natural blades swung down at Malcolm, he blocked both strikes. The Wraith then unleashed a flurry of strikes at its opponent, each of which was perfectly parried. The remaining three Wraiths and the Jaeger rushed at team RNJR. Similar to their first encounter, Nora, whose Aura had recharged just in time and was back , had difficulty with the Wraith's speed but manages to get a few good hits in this time. Jaune is in a duel with the second beast, each of them exchanging strikes but neither really getting an advantage. Ren's fight is going much like Jaune's but Ruby's battle is much different. Ruby's opponent isn't some beast; he's a trained assassin with anti-human weaponry.

"So little girl...are you ready to die?" the Jaeger says, brandishing his blade.

"I'm not dying. Not today, not anytime soon!" Ruby retorted, getting into a combat stance.

"Are you so certain?" the Jaeger scoffed and threw three shuriken at Ruby, who deflected each of them. Immediately after, the Jaeger was on her, attacking with the massive blade in a downward swing. Ruby managed to block it with Crescent Rose and swung back in retaliation. The assassin dodged and opened fire with his Aura-shattering rounds, each shot missing Ruby by a small margin, even with her speed. The little red reaper returned fire between bursts of speed with her high-caliber rifle. Much like with the assassin's own shots, each round missed by a very small margin. The Jaeger took notice of this and smirked under his helmet. _I'll give her credit, the girl's good. It's a pretty even match when it comes to marksmanship, same distance from the target for each shot that misses,_ the assassin thought to himself as he and Ruby continued their firefight.

Meanwhile, Malcolm had finally gotten the upper hand against his Wraith. A quick upward slice cleaved the blade-like arm of the monster in two, leaving an opening for him. He quickly reached for his rifle and blasted the Wraith's leg, leaving it crippled. It tried to crawl away but it wouldn't get far. One final downward thrust into the Wraith's chest and Malcolm's fight ended in victory for him.

Nora continued to swing wildly at her Wraith but she still only managed to land some minor blows to the monster. She then changed tactics and turned Magnhild into its grenade launcher form but she didn't see the Wraith. During Maghild's transformation it had vanished. "Ok really? Not cool bug guy...not cool," Nora said, annoyed. A small light flashed from behind and the Wraith tried to strike her from behind, only for the barrel of the grenade launcher to be shoved into the agape maw of the Wraith. "Gotcha," Nora said triumphantly and pulled the trigger, blowing the Wraith's head clean off in an explosion of pink Dust.

Jaune was currently struggling as the weight of the Wraith's blades pressed down on his shield, preventing him from taking a swing at it. For a creature so agile and-to be honest- rather spindly, the Wraith certainly had strength. As the natural blades of the creature pressed down on the shield, Jaune tried to muster every ounce of Aura he had, maybe even bring out his Semblance. Without him even noticing at first, his shield began to glow white which caused the Wraith's eyes to widen in shock. Before the beast could do anything, it was sent flying by a massive shockwave of Aura. "Woah," Jaune said silently as he looked at his shield, still surrounded by a white glow. _Is...is this my Semblance?_ , he thought to himself as the glow faded. He tried to summon that same power again as the Wraith regained its composure. This time, he succeeded, not in empowering his shield but his sword this time. The blade of Coreca Mors was illuminated with the same white glow as the shield. The Wraith glared daggers at Jaune and rushed Jaune, its blades aimed for his neck in a wide arc. Jaune swung his blade to meet the two of his opponent. There was the sound of blades clashing and flesh being torn. Nora turned to see Jaune and the Wraith facing away from each other, each in a stance after an attack landed. The Wraith, however, didn't stay standing for long, as both of its arms fell off and a bloody gash was left in its chest. The beast then fell to its knees and then hit the ground with a thud as its blood flowed out from the wound, the same blood that now stained Crocea Mors. Nora's eyes were wide and her mouth agape with shock. "Woah...that….that was AWESOME!" she said as Jaune cleaned the blood off his blade.

Ren, after holstering StormFlower for a moment, delivered a roundhouse kick to the jaw of his Wraith, followed by a series of unarmed punches. He then gave one final open-palmed strike at the Wraith's chest, causing those close to hear an audible cracking noise. "Oooh that's gotta hurt!" Nora said as she, Jaune, and Malcolm watched the Wraith fly across the roof they were fighting on. The Wraith began coughing up black blood as it tried to weakly stand. Ren then rushed the Wraith and landed a bone-shattering kick to the creature's leg. The bone instantly snapped with a sickening cracking noise. Ren then drew StormFlower back out and blasted the Wraith constantly. Small spurts of blood erupted across the Wraith's body and before the body could even hit the floor, Ren used the blades of his weapons and cleaved the Wraith's head from it's body.

With the Wraiths all dealt with, the only one left is the Jaeger. He and Ruby are still engaged in a firefight until the assassin goes to reload again. He tries to grab the next clip but is only grasping at air. He curses under his breath as he hears Ruby load up another clip of rounds into her weapon. "You're out of bullets…" Ruby said as she pointed the sniper form of her scythe at the assassin.

"But not out of options," the Jaeger said as he drew his sword and rushed Ruby. He started his attack with an overhead swing but Ruby managed to get out of the way just in time. The assassin stopped his blade from hitting the roof they were both standing on and swung to his left, barely missing Ruby. He swung again, only for Ruby to meet his blade with her own, sending sparks flying. The Jaeger tried to break through Ruby's defense with a flurry of sword strikes but the huntress' Aura held strong, as well as her massive scythe. Ruby then kicked at the assassin's leg, landing a hit and making him stagger a bit. However, when Ruby raised her scythe to strike, the Jaeger dodged and threw three shurikens at her. Each one of the bladed projectiles was deflected as Ruby spun Crescent Rose in front of her. Ruby loaded ice rounds into her sniper-scythe and fired, freezing the assassin's left arm. He was shocked at first and, because he let his guard down for one second and focused more on his arm, Ruby was able to land a solid kick to his jaw. The assassin's body spun and was sent flying while Ruby readied for another attack. Though, in her head she was screaming "ow" over and over again due to how hard that armor was. The ice that was encasing the Jaeger's arm had shattered by now and he got back up on his feet. _Ok, I thought this was just going to be a little skirmish. Instead this is an actual fight. It's...kind of fun...but screw it...this little game has gone on long enough. I'm ending this now...and her little head is coming off her shoulders!,_ the Jaeger thought to himself as he readied to rush Ruby head on. Ruby apparently had the same thought as she readied herself to charge. A single moment passed before the two of them rushed at each other. They each seemed to strike and skidded past each other...but only Ruby was left unscathed.

The assassin fell down to his knees as his right leg had been cut by Crescent Rose, armor and all. Blood flowed down his leg as he groaned in pain. Armored boots came into the assassin's vision and he looked up to see Malcolm pointing his rifle directly at the Jaeger's head.

"One shot. One armor-piercing round...and your brains go flying across the rooftop. Now unless you want to die...you're gonna answer my questions. Clear?" the ex-soldier said coldly.

After the Jaeger let out a soft animalistic growl he responded, "Crystal…"

"Now...who are you?"

"I told them already. I don't HAVE a name. I'm a Jaeger, a hunter."

"More like assassin. Who hired you and how in the name of DUST did you get beasts of myth?"

"I'm not one of those...vagabonds who dare to taint the art of assassination, I'm a professional. Expertly trained by the grandmaster. As...for the Wraiths...they're just part of the army."

"Army...you're one of the mercenaries?!"

"It doesn't matter...this little village...everyone in it will be dead by noon tomorrow. The Venarox will vaporize you all!"

"What?!"

"As for me...I'm afraid that's all you'll get out of me. Time to fulfill my vow...as a Jaeger…," the assassin then moved his hand to a small dagger sheathed to his side.

Malcolm was ready to pull the trigger on his rifle but the Jaeger stopped him when he said, "Don't. Save the ammunition...you'll need it." Ruby and the others soon walked up to Malcolm to see what he found out from the assassin, Ruby being the first to get to him.

"Stay back Ruby!" Malcolm said as he kept his rifle trained on the assassin.

"And now...it's time...to say….goodbye," the Jaeger started to chuckle to himself as he brought the dagger to his neck.

"Wait, don't!"

But it was too late, the assassin pressed the blade into his neck and brought it across his throat. Ruby was horrified as the assassin took his own life right in front of her. The Jaeger then slumped forward as his blood began to pool beneath him.

"Ruby! What's going...on..," Jaune's voice trailed off as he saw the assassin lying dead in front of Malcolm and Ruby.

"He...he just...he just…" Ruby was too stunned to find the words to describe what she just saw.

"He just killed himself…," Malcolm finished for her. "We need to get the mercenaries' base in town. Now. They have a lot to answer for."

"What? He's one of theirs?" Jaune said as he looked back to the lifeless corpse of the Jaeger.

"Apparently so...and he said they plan on wiping us all out. We all need some answers, now. Gear up!"

 **(A/N: An old Atlesian legend working with a nameless assassin. Now the supernatural really comes into play. And yes, these Wraiths are based off the Wraiths of Doom 3 with the whole mantis-like look and split jaw. I've always liked that design as well. Anyway, next two chapter the five of them will finally get the whole truth as to what the mercs plan to do. As to their true identity...well...we've never seen one without their helmet except for Lazu. Also on a writing note, someone pointed out to me that the time frame after Beacon was unclear so I wanted to state here that it's been four months and that a tank would be rather cumbersome to use in a forest which is true but I couldn't really think of a way to change the weapon test. As always read, review and enjoy.)**


	9. Chapter 9: Skeleton Crew

After the hunters had returned to their room in the inn and changed into their hunter attire, they set off to deal with the mercenaries. Malcolm was in the lead, still clad in his Atlesian armor, followed by Nora, Ren and Jaune and Ruby bringing up the rear. Jaune could tell though, Ruby was still shaken by seeing that.

"Ruby? You ok?" Jaune said turn to Ruby, a caring look on his face.

"Y-yeah...I...I'm fine," the young huntress replied.

"Ruby...we both know that's a lie. Do...you want to talk about it?"

"Jaune...I saw it happen. I saw that guy take...take his own LIFE. Right in front of me. Why? Why would he even do that?! If we took him prisoner, it's not like we would torture him! We're not monsters!"

"We're not...but these guys seem to be. Maybe he just...broke down from what he's done. Maybe it was some...weird mantra, like a cult or something. I...I honestly don't know…"

"But you didn't see it. You didn't see him die...I did! I know I should be used to this because I'm a huntress but…."

"Ruby," Jaune cut her off, "no one ever gets used to seeing people die. Yeah, people might not show it openly but...they're still affected by it. Shaken by it. "

"That won't be the last time...will it? The last time someone...dies...I mean."

"Sadly...it won't be. But...the sooner we find out, the sooner we can stop them from taking more lives."

Ruby smiled weakly and nodded in response. "You're right. Thanks for the talk Jaune."

"You're welcome."

Soon enough, the retreat came into view as well as two soldiers guarding the door. The group of five hid just out of the sight and maneuvered around them. Malcolm managed to find one of the side windows that wasn't locked that led into one of the guest bedrooms. The room was empty in terms of occupants but there were a few rifles and helmets near the beds. The Faunus soldier climbed in through the open window and motioned for the others to follow. Nora almost gave them away by dropping Magnhild but Ruby quickly caught it before it hit the ground.

"Might wanna be more careful with this Nora," Ruby whispered.

Nora rubbed the back of her head and stuck her tongue out at Ruby jokingly. Malcolm kept going, trying to find any soldier he could question about this "Venarox" he heard the assassin mention. The way the Jaeger put it, it sounded like some form of weapon but the specifics were still a mystery. He opened the door and peeked out into the hallway, noticing a shadow originating from further down the hallway. He turned to the four hunters accompanying him and said, "Alright. Jaune, Ruby, you're with me. We'll head left down this hallway. Ren, Nora, you head right. If you find anything that could help grab it. "

"Got it!" Nora whispered, saluting to the ex-soldier.

"There's no need for that you know."

"Yeah, I know. I just prefer to."

Malcolm let out a small sigh and opened the door further, leading Ruby and Jaune down the hall to the left, towards the shadow while Nora and Ren moved further right. Malcolm stopped at the doorway and carefully looked inside to see one of the soldiers, his back facing them, and working at a console that certainly wasn't there before. Malcolm handed his rifle to Jaune and then drew his collapsible sword. He then silently snuck up on the soldier and held the blade to his throat.

"What the-?!" the soldier yelled as he felt the cold steel against his neck.

"Alright buddy, you have about five seconds to start talking. What are you REALLY doing here?" Malcolm demanded, holding one of the soldier's arms behind his back while pressing his blade to the man's neck.

"Like I'll tell a faunus mongrel anything."

"Wait….how did you…."

"Your scent...unmistakable. All Faunus...you have a certain stench about you...fitting for a bunch of lowly mongrels."

"You really want to piss me off don't you?" the ex-Atlas soldier said as he increased the pressure on the blade. But because of the anger that was building up, he didn't take notice of what the soldier just said but Ruby did.

"Wait...scent? You can tell he's a Faunus just from smell? Wouldn't that make you a Faunus too?" Ruby asked, only to get a laugh from the soldier.

"Hell no! I'm not one of those animals! Doesn't necessarily mean I'm human though."

"Ok cut the crap. Now tell us why you're here," Malcolm said as both anger and annoyance began to show in his tone of voice.

"Like I said...Faunus...you'll get nothing out of me. Might as well kill me now."

Malcolm merely sighed, let the soldier go, and then knocked him out with a powerful right hook, cracking the visor.

"Ok...search the room. I'll move this one out of the way."

Meanwhile, Ren and Nora found the dining room, which had been converted into a large commander center-like room. No one was there so they decided to forgo remaining hidden and began their search for anything at all that could tell them about what the mercenaries were truly here for. Ren took the left side of the room while Nora took the right.

While searching, Nora found a strange symbol, drawn in chalk, on one of the walls. It was three overlapping circles with strange smaller symbols written the circumference of the them. Nora wanted to call the smaller symbols letters but she just couldn't tell. If they were letters, they were of some alien language she had no clue about. She took out her scroll and took a quick picture of it, making sure to keep the flash function turned off. She was still fascinated by it and she couldn't help but ask questions in her head. What was this symbol? What did it represent? Or was this some strange mercenary art project? Whatever it was, hopefully it might help shed some light on the mercs.

Ren wasn't having the most luck while searching either. He found one of the merc's rifles and examined it. Despite the mercenaries' claims of being from "all four kingdoms" this rifle wasn't a model he recognized. Being a huntsman, one has to have a good knowledge of weapons including maintenance and the model and make of the weapon in question. This one in particular though, it was completely new. The rifle itself was made of what Ren assumed to be chrome but painted black to fit the mercenaries' motif. The design of it was very angular and rigid, a small row of decorative spines running the length of the top side of the gun. The weapon was surprisingly light for the metal that it was built from.

Ren went to see what kind of Dust the gun took. He opened up the ammunition compartment and found the cartridge powering the weapon, but it wasn't a Dust cartridge. It did have a red crystal inside the power cell but unlike normal Dust ammo, which was normally cold, this ammo was searing hot even though it seemingly hadn't been used. _A fresh cartridge and it already feels like it's been used. That's not normal for Dust,_ Ren thought to himself as he continued to examine the rifle, _Even fire Dust is cold until you bring out the latent power._ _Unless...this isn't Dust._ Ren held on to the energy cell and continued his search. As luck would have it, he found something about the weapon Malcolm told them about this Venarox. The full name of the weapon was the Venarox-44 Anti-Aura Mobile Artillery cannon. According to the report-and the obvious part of its name- the weapon was designed specifically to fire "Argent" shells with specialized payloads **,** payloads that can destroy any being with an Aura. The way the report was written, it sounded like Aura was some alien force to these people. Like the Jaeger had said before, "I don't have an Aura? Well I must lack soul," but that couldn't have been true.

Soon, Ruby, Jaune and Malcolm joined back up with Nora and Ren in the control room.

"Hopefully you guys had better luck than we did," Jaune said with a sigh.

"You have no idea guys," Nora said with a smile. "Ren found one of their rifles and some paper about the weapon. And I found this," she said in an over-the-top reveal sort of tone of voice as she showed them the symbol on the wall.

"What is it?" Ruby asked, tilting her head a bit.

"No clue," Nora replied, "Maybe these guys have a weird idea of interior decorating?"

"No, I don't think so. I think I saw another one on the here, in another of the soldier quarters. I'm not sure what it's for but...if they have more than one it must have some significance," Malcolm said taking a closer look at the symbol.

"What about the weapon?" Jaune asked as Ren presented the report on it.

"It's called the Venarox-44 Anti-Aura Mobile Artillery. It's some kind of specially designed tank cannon that fires something called 'modified Argent shells'. Supposedly...they target any being with Aura and...vaporize them," Ren said as he read the report on the weapon.

"Anyone with Aura would be killed? How is that possible though?"

"Apparently...it's all thanks to...Doctor Nero Merlot, the head of Merlot Industries."

"What?! How is that possible? He vanished around the same time as his company went under at Mountain Glenn and that was years ago!" Jaune exclaimed.

Before Ren could continue however, they heard two more mercenary soldiers heading their way. The group of five moved quickly to find hiding places. Malcolm hid behind one of the consoles on the far left wall. Ruby, Jaune, and Ren hid beneath the main table where as Nora…

The soldiers walked into the control room, rifles in hand and went about their routine.

"So, any word from the Jaeger yet?" the first one said as he walked over to one of the consoles.

"Nothing yet. It's not like him to report in and brag about killing someone," the second said, following the first. Neither of them noticed the strangely human shaped silhouette with a lampshade on its head.

"Yeah. The Jaeger always reports in saying 'Another notch on the blade.' I'm just glad not all of them are like that. If they were...by Argent I'd put a bullet in their heads. Every single one of them."

"Honestly if they were like that...they wouldn't be a unit in the legion."

"True enough I guess," the second one said, a hint of boredom in his voice.

"At least we only have to do this for one night right? The whole skeleton crew job?"

"Yeah but I'd still prefer to be IN the escort. So much more fun. Watching them all burn."

"Again, true."

"Hell this little skeleton crew isn't even that big, that's the bad part about this. You, me, the two guys out front, the one checking all the of the temporary living quarters and then the other three in the Secondary Comm Center. That's it. Out of a thousand men, he chooses us. We chosen few out of a thousand."

"Quit whining. You remember to pack up those shield generators?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it."

With that, the two soldiers left the control and the five intruders in hiding let out a collective sigh of relief once they were sure the men were out of earshot.

"Nora...I will never understand how they didn't see you," Ren said with a small smirk.

"I told you before, stealth is my specialty!" the redhead said proudly, placing her hands on her hips.

"You heard that though. A thousand men. Where the HELL could they be hiding a thousand men on this island?!" Malcolm asked, more concerned than anything.

"He's got a point there…" Ruby said in agreement.

"Maybe...they're underground?" Nora blurted out.

"What?" Malcolm responded.

"Well if I was a crazy-evil military leader-something I often fantasize about minus the evil, ask Ren- I'd want my soldiers to have a base that no one could really see. Have there be some...natural disguise or something that hides the entrance to the large base under the ground."

"Wow that...that makes sense. Subterranean base that no one in a village could find because they lack the technology. It's….it's brilliant."

Nora smirked proudly at that and said, "I've played a lot of Remnant: The Game after I saw Ruby and her team play it back at Beacon."

"But that brings up another question," Malcolm continued, "if they've had enough time to build a permanent base on Patch….how long have they truly been here? It would've taken years for a base of that scale to be completed and it certainly would've been noticed before now."

"And how do they have help from Doctor Merlot? I mean I know the guy's not that good-he did make mutant Grimm after all- but this? A weapon that can kill someone just if they have an Aura? Why would he even MAKE something like that?" Ruby asked, now confused as to why and how the mercenaries got the help of that madman. The last time she had to deal with Merlot and his pets, not only was Team RWBY still together, but he was messing around with Beacon's security and almost blew them up with a bomb in Mountain Glenn. Of course, she never met the man in person but at the time, she thought of giving him a good beating for what he did. Maybe Yang's way of solving problems had rubbed off on her a little bit.

"I don't know...but what's important is that these monsters plan to test the weapon on Arroyo but they won't succeed. We're going to stop them and destroy that weapon. First...we're dealing with the rest of the skeleton crew here," Malcolm responded.

"Also, might wanna take those shield gizmos they were talking about. Could help in the long run," Nora said hefting Magnhild over her shoulder.

"Good idea. Me and Nora will get the generators. We'll deal with any 'mercenaries' we see," Ren said drawing StormFlower from its holsters.

"Yeah! Time to break some legs!" Nora cheered as she readied Magnhild.

"Right. We'll deal with the other soldiers if they see us. Make sure they don't get a call out to Lazu," Malcolm said as he drew his collapsible sword.

With that, the team split up again. Ren and Nora followed the way the two soldiers from before took, hoping it would lead them to the generators while Ruby, Jaune, and Malcolm headed to the Secondary Communication Center.

Nora and Ren soon found the second of the two troopers preparing to move two metal pyramid-shaped objects which could only be the shield generators. If they didn't know how to make them work then surely there was a manual around they could borrow. They could hear him mumbling something about Lazu but couldn't hear the exact details. Before he could pick up one of the generators, Ren nodded to Nora who grinned as she snuck up on the soldier. She readied Magnhild and swung down on the soldier's head, an audible crack being heard but whether it was the helmet or the soldier's head was up for debate. He fell to the floor with an audible thump as Nora put Magnhild back in its dormant form. She then picked up both of the devices and carried them over her shoulders.

"Well how about this for a prize? Whack a merc, get two shield generators," she giggled to herself.

Ruby, Jaune and Malcolm had found the Secondary Communication Center, or as some of the mercs called it, the SCC, and what they found wasn't good. There were three soldiers present, making a report via video call to Commander Lazu.

"So, nothing?" Lazue said with a raised eyebrow.

"Correct, sir. Ever since his deployment, the Jaeger hasn't made radio contact. Perhaps the worst has happened?" one of the soldiers implied.

"If he has indeed perished….ready the failsafe. No one must get a hold of our technology."

"Understood sir. "

"Aside from tha-," Lazu stopped himself as he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A small reflection of light. The light itself no doubt came from the video screen but the reflection…

"Sir?" one of the soldiers said, trying to see if the connection was bad.

"Apparently...you're not as good at stealth as you thought...," Lazu said, his expression becoming an angry glare. At that, Jaune, Ruby, and Malcolm came out of hiding and attacked the soldiers.

"What the fu-", the first soldier was cut off when an Atlesian collapsible sword was thrust into his neck, staining the blade with blood.

One of the remaining two reached for his weapon but was too slow as Ruby used Crescent Rose to smack him into the wall, cracks being heard from his direction. Ruby then came to the realization what that cracking noise was. Because these people somehow lacked Aura, they had no extra defense against an attack like that. One of the cracking noises must have been his bones. And considering how hard she hit him and where she hit him-in the neck-...she guessed that the blow had broken it somehow. That was the first person's life she had directly taken. Sure there had been all the White Fang grunts back in Mountain Glenn but she didn't kill them herself. They were killed off by the countless Grimm that had flooded the tunnels not her. All she did was knock them off the train with Crescent Rose. She was used to killing Grimm; they were monsters with no emotions, no soul, with only three things on their minds: murdering, eating, and more murdering. But humans? Humans had souls, they had emotions, they had people who would miss them when they passed. She tried to rationalize it by saying to herself mentally that if she didn't, he would've killed her and so many others.

Jaune had the same train of thought when he thrust his own blade into the the third mercenary's chest and he slowly faded.

"Well...well...well," Lazu said, his voice calm as if nothing happened, "judging by the look on your faces, those were the first lives you've taken. Well get used to it. If you wanna survive what's coming...you'll need to kill a lot more than just one life," Lazu said, a grim smile forming on his lips as he chuckled.

"And what exactly IS coming,Lazu?" Malcolm said, pointing his blade at the screen.

"Well...giving you the full details would spoil the fun! But...I can give you the broadest idea. War. War is coming. And oh is it going to be FUN! I can hear it all now! The blitzkriegs, the offensives, the sniper fire which will TEAR soldiers to pieces! It's like a symphony to me!"

"Ok...before you didn't seem that bad apart from that shooting someone in the leg because you didn't want to talk. Now you're just insane!" Jaune says sheathing his blade.

"No, I'm as sane as I've ever been. The insane ones here are you three and your two friends, who are no doubt still sneaking through MY facility. The REASON you're insane is because I already know what you're going to say to the question I'm about to ask."

"And...that question is?" Ruby said hesitantly.

"Will you just surrender and die?"

"Wait...don't you mean surrender OR die?" Jaune questioned.

"Do I look OR sound like a man who would show mercy Mr. Arc?"

"...good point. You were just talking about how war's a symphony for you. Also...going out on a limb here...if you like war so much…"

"No," Lazu cut him off, "I don't know where she is. Even if I did, I wouldn't share the location. That bitch will die soon enough...but by OUR blades, not yours. I can promise you that...for that is my master's wish."

"But...why would your boss want her dead?" Ruby asked, tilting her head a bit.

"If you're referring to Mister Nix, let me clarify: there never WAS a Mister Nix. If there was...he probably died years ago. Nix is just a cover name my master uses when he interacts with you humans. And before you ask, no, he's not a Faunus either."

"Then what are you? And how are you able to control the Grimm?" Ruby asked as she put Crescent Rose back into its dormant form.

"The method we use was gifted to me and another by our master, the greatest practitioner of this art, taken right from a Tome of Salem. As for what we are...well...that would spoil the fun but trust me when I say this...we're a whole lot worse than the Grimm. I'll see you all tomorrow...when I walk over your burnt corpses," with that, the transmission was cut off and the three warriors were left to wonder about the true identity of these decided that they'd gone too long without answers. He walked over to the corpse of the soldier that Ruby broke the neck of with the force of her scythe.

"Eh? Malcolm, what are you doing?" Ruby inquired as she walked after the soldier.

"Something just dawned on me. We've never seen these guys without their helmets on-the grunts I mean. Not ONCE have we seen one without it. There must be a reason for that and since this one won't need to hide his face anymore...I say we take a look." He undid the clasps for the helmet and slowly pulled it up. What was underneath the mask could hardly be described as human or Faunus. Whatever this...thing...was, it had unnatural blue skin, almost as if the creature had suffocated much earlier. Its teeth were sharper than those of a Grimm; its eyes were a solid teal color with no pupils. Small ridges, ending in horns, curved back against the sides of the creature's head. Malcolm quickly moved back from the corpse, throwing the helmet aside, his eyes wide in shock.

"W-what...what is that?!" Ruby shouted, terrified of the reveal.

"First those...Wraiths...now this thing?! What's next a Grimm gorilla?!" Jaune exclaimed as he pointed at the body.

"We...we need to warn the others. The village, the militia. Jaune, find the rest of your team! Ruby, with me! We're clearing out these...things from my village! "

"Right!" Ruby reached for Crescent Rose and had her weapon transform back into the massive blade. Ruby, Malcolm, and Jaune ran out of the SCC and split up again.

Ruby and Malcolm encountered three more soldiers soon with two of the soldiers drawing blades and the third opening fire with his rifle. When the two with blades rushed Ruby, she blocked both strikes with her scythe. She knocked both of them back and swung right through the two of them. Ruby kept telling herself that these were monsters like the Grimm but...smarter. They planned on destroying an entire village, ending all of these lives, just to further their own diabolical war machine. The two soldiers slumped over, dead, and soon the third followed as a Dust bullet impacted and went through his skull, making his head jerk back and then keeled over, blood pooling beneath him. The pair kept their weapons out and rushed on to the next fight. Fortunately there weren't many soldiers left to deal with. As they rushed back outside to deal with the last two guards, they came across the one Malcolm had knocked out earlier. He hadn't gotten his bearings yet but that didn't stop Malcolm from impaling him in the chest through a chink in the armor.

However, one of the guards outside had come inside for a shift change that would never come. If he continued on his current to his next post, he would run into Jaune. Jaune soon saw the soldier and now that he knew what was under that mask-literally and metaphorically- he drew Crocea Mors and got into a fighting stance. The soldier stopped and growled at him like an animal before drawing his own blade and shield. A single silent moment passed before the soldier roared and rushed Jaune, swinging the blade in an attempt to decapitate the blonde hunter. Jaune ducked, just in time, and did a sweeping kick, knocking the soldier off balance and on his back. Jaune jumped on top of the soldier to try and stab him but the shield blocked him. Both of them struggled to either keep up or break the defense. After a while, Jaune managed to move the shield away and stabbed the mercenary in the same chink Malcolm did. He heard more gunfire from outside but that quickly fell silent.

"Jaune!" shouted a familiar voice.

"Nora! You got the generators?" Jaune said, turning to Nora and Ren, carrying the generators.

"Yep! Cracked some poor guy's head though I think…"

"They're not men...these things aren't human and they're not Faunus either."

"Eh? How can they be neither?"

"I'll show you later, come on!"

The three rushed outside to find Ruby and Malcolm after the latter had finished off the only soldier left in the base. Jaune had explained to them that these soldiers weren't men and for some reason only Lazu seemed to be human but even then it could be a disguise. Nora wanted to see this "monster soldier" for herself so Malcolm unmasked the guard he had just killed. Sure enough, it was the same creature under that mask with blue skin and horns. Nora was just as shocked as they others were when they first saw the hideous truth. With the skeleton crew dealt with, the group rushed back to the village to warn them of the coming danger but all the while, Ruby couldn't forget the words Lazu said, how he had gotten the power to control Grimm. He said his master was the "greatest practitioner of the art" and the fact that he even had it was a gift from that master. He also mentioned a "Tome of Salem." Who was this Salem and how was it possible she could control Grimm in the first place to write it down?

Meanwhile, in Lazu's base, he grabs his helmet while turning to one of his high ranking officers. "The Venarox is ready?" the commander questioned as he donned the helmet.

"Yes sir," the officer said, stroking a finger across a holographic pad showing statistics of their forces. When he does another image shows up depicting a small two-man vehicle with a cannon-like weapon attached to back of the machine. Orange text beneath the image reads"Type-47 Infantry Support Vehicle, aka 'The Lich mini-hover tank'" and a small "x2" next to said text. "As are the Liches," the gold-visored soldier stated with a nod.

"Excellent...then we move out at dawn. Has there been any sign of her yet?"

"None, sir..at least not on Patch."

"Details, lieutenant!"

"There was...a small incident on the mainland. One of our supply depots was recently attacked."

"Who was manning it?"

"The depot was guarded by 44 White Fang men. No high-ranking officer on site."

"Casualties?"

The lieutenant didn't respond for a moment as he checked the holo-pad.

"Well?" Lazu asked, impatience creeping into his voice.

"Zero...sir."

"...Zero? No one DIED?!"

"Correct...all of the guards were knocked out and then apprehended by the remaining presence of Huntsmen and law enforcement. With the CCTs down, a written message, attached to a kunai, was delivered to the acting Huntress in charge-Glynda Goodwitch- detailing the location of the depot. Apparently, the supplies were destroyed and the computers wiped. No doubt, the latter was done by one of the guards on site."

"As if the zero casualty statistic wasn't weird enough. Alert the listening post. Tell them to keep an eye out for any ninjas."

 **(A/N: And now we have the truth behind the mercenaries! They're neither human or Faunus but something else. Much like the Wraiths were based off of Doom 3's Wraiths, the design of the mercenaries' true form was based off of the design of the Phantom Guard from the first Darksiders game. Alongside the other two revelations of Lazu knowing Cinder and a White Fang depot being destroyed but with no casualties, things are just going to get more interesting. Next time, we have the Battle of Arroyo itself. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	10. Chapter 10: The Battle of Arroyo

It was still dark out by the time the village elder, Malcolm's father, had gathered the militia in his home and set up a war room on his son's request. They were still waiting for Malcolm himself to arrive as team RNJR had begun explaining the situation to them. Ren, Ruby, and Jaune were standing at one end of an oak table while Nora sat on the left edge.

"These mercenaries that you've allowed into your village are not what they appear to be," Ren stated bluntly, "Their true purpose here is to test a weapon on your village that-if fired-will turn everyone in it into a pile of ashes. Men, women, and children. All of them will burn if that weapon fires on us."

"And how do we know you can be trusted? You came into town walking side-by-side with them," one of the militiamen said.

"Don't...compare us...to these things. They aren't even human."

"Oh...so they're Faunus? Didn't realize you guys were being rac-", the young man was cut off when Malcolm opened the door with a loud thud, dragging the body of one of the soldiers from the base in the village. Tucked under his arm was the report Ren had found in the building.

"Hey, Nora?! Mind helping me with the...proof I needed to drag here?!"

"Coming!" Nora shouted happily, as she hopped off the table and hefted the dead soldier's legs up and with Malcolm's help, carried the corpse over to another table. The helmet was already removed so all those present could see the true face underneath the mask.

"That...that is no Faunus…" a second man said as they all looked at the unholy creature.

"What was your first clue?" Malcolm said with a drip of sarcasm.

"These...these things...they don't care about 'defending you'. They care about one thing...fueling their own war machine and from what Ruby, Jaune, and Malcolm have heard...they are somehow directly connected to the Vytal Incident. Somehow...Commander Lazu knows Cinder Fall."

"But he wants her dead. We don't know why and we don't even know who Lazu's REAL boss is here," Jaune continued.

"Once we've broken the legs of these things, I hope you guys'll let us question Mr. Lazu. After all, he's in on this whooooooooole conspiracy thing," Nora said, hands placed on her hips.

"We're hoping he'll be smart enough to surrender but...I doubt it," Ren states bluntly.

"So...then what are we supposed to do? You said yourselves, this guy's got a small army!" a third villager says.

"We have a plan. The shield generators we stole from the base they had here are made to keep energy projectiles out. Once we activate them, the energy blasts will be stopped and absorbed by the shield. If they want to take down the shield, they'll have to come in and do so themselves. The soldiers themselves will be allowed to pass through the shield since the barrier is made to only protect from energy projectiles."

"So then how do we deal with the soldiers that make it through?"

"I think that's pretty obvious," Nora said with a smile, "We break their legs!"

"That's her way of saying, we kick their butts," Ruby added in.

"That's it?" a fourth villager asks.

"Once those soldiers are dealt with, we can deal with that tank. I promise you that we will win this. "

"So...we're letting kids, you don't even have their hunter's licenses lead us into battle against an army of mercenaries with tech leagues beyond anything we've ever seen? We're doomed."

"If you keep talking like that we will be. Relax though, you got four of the best huntsmen and huntresses from Beacon!" Nora stated proudly, earning smiles from Ruby, Jaune, and Ren.

"I believe them," Morgan Brans-Malcolm's father- said, "I believe that, once this all over, our village may be damaged but nothing we can't rebuild from. They survived Vale, a battle that took the lives of hundreds and they faced even worse odds. I believe them, my son believes them, the rest of you should as well."

There was a small murmur among those gathered but soon they all agreed.

"Now...we need to get those who won't be joining us in the fight somewhere safe. Perhaps the chapel. Jacob, gather those won't be able to fight with us and take them to the chapel. Fortify it accordingly."

Jacob nodded, grabbed his rifle, and headed out to gather those who aren't part of the militia and hide them in the village chapel.

"Morris, take your team and ready the traps we planned."

"Traps?" Jaune asked.

"You didn't think we've survived out here this long without having some defenses. The rifles were easy enough to come by but we don't have enough lien for those fancy auto-turrets some of the other villages across Remnant have. Instead, we've decided to use the land against the Grimm. Pitfalls filled with spikes, tripwires, and other such things. It's worked out so far."

"How come we didn't run into any on the way here then?"

"You took the main road didn't you? We only have traps already set on the outskirts of the village."

"Well you might want to set up some traps along the main road then. Lazu and his forces will probably head from that way," Ren stated.

"Right," Morgan agreed and nodded to Morris to go and set the traps.

"I'm going with them," Nora said as she grabbed Magnhild and followed Morris.

As Nora and Morris left, Ren continued to help coordinate the militia's forces using a map of the village and surrounding forest.

Several hours later, Lazu's forces are marching towards the village, their armored boots thudding along the dirt road as they go. The soldiers are divided into squads of thirty with the gold-clad officers in the front, leading them. The two Lich mini-tanks hover behind several of the divisions; their cannons crackling with dark red streaks of energy. The larger tank, instead of being equipped with the powerful main gun turret, has been refitted with the Venarox cannon- a massive artillery cannon. Connected behind the Venarox tank by an energy tether is an ammo rack of massive Argent shells. And of course, in the driver's seat of the tank, sits Lazu himself. He opens up the cockpit of the tank and shouts to his forces, "Halt march!" The soldiers all stop the second he shouts.

"Sir?" the gold-helmed officer next to the tank asks.

"They know we're coming. Have the Liches fire a volley on the village."

"But that will give away our position!"

"That doesn't matter right now! If they've done what I think they've done then we need to disable it! Liches! Fire a volley!"

The Lich drivers responded with a nod and began firing balls of red energy at the village.

"Disable what sir?!" the officer asked.

As the energy projectiles neared the village, the soldiers watched expecting flame to erupt from the village.

"The shield."

The blasts of energy harmlessly exploded against a dome of light blue light that covered the entire village.

"A shield?!" the golden-clad officer exclaimed, "How did they manage to get that?!"

"Simple answer to a simple question. They raided our skeleton crew's base; I saw them there when I checked in on them. Saw the Rose girl, the Arc boy, and the boar Faunus from earlier slaughter three of them." Lazu raised his sword and then pointed forward with it, exclaiming, "CHARGE THEM!" However, instead of his own soldiers, at the command, a horde of Grimm emerged from the woods at the sides of the army. Beowolves and Creeps surged forth as the soldiers actually made way for them. As one of the beasts-a Beowolf- came closer to the village, one bad step had sent it and two creeps into a pit and being impaled by spikes. Black smoke soon rose from the pit as the bodies of the three Grimm began to dissipate. One after another, traps were sprung by the Grimm. Numerous pitfalls and tripwires were activated and soon, learning from this, the Grimm stopped charging.

Lazu smiled smugly at this. He knew that they were out of traps lining the main road. It was classic guerrilla warfare, something he always hated going against because after a while it just got so predictable. The only reason he was smiling was because he was amused at this little attempt of defense.

"Divisions 1-4!" the commander exclaimed, "Prepare to charge!"

The soldiers readied their blades and shields or their rifles. The Grimm that were smart enough not to charge into the traps readied for a second time.

Once they saw this, Ruby, Jaune, Ren, and Nora stepped out of the protection of the shield and readied their weapons. Behind them, were several of the militiamen armed with standard Dust rifles. Leading them was Malcolm, still clad in his Atlesian armor.

"So...you guys ready for this?" Ruby asked, turning to Ren and Nora on her left first.

"Let's break some legs!" Nora beamed.

Ren simply nodded in agreement.

RUby then turned to Jaune on her right who said, "Ready when you are."

"Alright then," Ruby said, "let's do this!"

Lazu then motioned his blade forward again, signaling his soldiers to charge. And that's exactly what they did. War cries and roars of rage echoed from the soldiers and Grimm as they rushed towards Arroyo and the village's defenders. Team RNJR charged to meet as Malcolm and the militia men aimed their rifles after taking new positions. The barrels of the weapons were just outside the shield so they would be effective against the incoming horde.

"OPEN FIRE!" Malcolm shouted to the other militia soldiers and began blasting the charging soldiers and Grimm. In the initial volley, several soldiers and Grimm are struck and killed by the shots. Team RNJR meets the combined mercenary and Grimm forces, cutting them down with crushing hammer strikes, devastating sword swings, and barrages of close-range Dust bullets. The militiamen continued firing on the first four divisions of soldiers.

Lazu and his second-in-command were watching from the safety of the Venarox equipped tank. The officer was using the zoom function on his helmet to observe the fight and noticed the dwindling number of soldiers and Grimm. He noticed the Grimm were pretty much gone and that there weren't many soldiers left. He started counting down how many people were left.

"10…", Ruby blasts one of the soldiers in the air and then brings down the back of her scythe onto the soldier's back. A loud cracking noise being heard as he hits the ground.

"9…", Jaune bashed his shield into the helmet of one soldier, cracking it. He then stabs the soldier through the jugular.

"8…", Nora swung her hammer into the chest of a soldier which sent him flying into a tree.

"7...6..." Ren shot two of the soldiers in the legs and then slit their throats.

"5...4...3…", Ruby quickly put a single bullet into each of the three soldiers' skulls.

"2…", Jaune parried a strike from one of the remaining soldiers and then slashed his chest.

"1…", Nora brought her hammer down on the soldier's head.

"Zero. Commander. Divisions 1-4 have been eliminated along with the bulk of our Grimm reserves."

Lazu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in annoyance. "Divisions 5-10! Attack!"

"Those guys weren't so tough!" Nora beamed.

"That was just the first wave," Ren stated as he turned to see the second wave rush at them.

"We won't beat these guys unless we take out that tank...and I think I got an idea. Nora you're with me. Jaune? Ren? Can you guys hold them off long enough for this to work?"

"We'll buy as much time as you need!" Jaune exclaimed, getting into a combat stance as he saw the next group charge them. Gunshots ringing out loudly just like before. Ruby nodded to Nora as they both rushed to the back of the army. Ruby sliced her way through any of those monsters wearing armor that got in her and Nora's way as they headed for the Venarox. Nora beamed as she blasted her way through countless soldiers. One of the Liches had taken aim at the two but before it could fire, Ruby vanished in a cloud of rose petals and reappeared, kicking the driver out of his seat and blasting the passenger out of his own with her sniper. Nora hopped into the driver and Ruby took a seat next to her.

"Ok...you can drive this thing right?" Ruby inquired.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell...I can just push buttons and see what works!" Nora grinned as she began to randomly press buttons on the control console. At first the Lich began to jerk in random directions but then Nora pushed the booster button and sent the tank zooming through the advancing soldiers from behind, ramming them and sending flying.

'Ruby gave Nora a tank?!" Jaune shouted as he bashed his shield into the back of a soldier's head.

"I'm not sure if this her best idea...or her worst," Ren commented as he shot a soldier in the chest five times.

"Wooooooooooooohooooooooooooooooo!" came Nora's always cheerful voice.

'Oh my Dust Norrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Going this fast wasn't part of the plan! Now I know why Jaune gets motion siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiick!" Ruby shouted, holding on for dear life as Nora drove the Lich.

"Stop that LICH!" Lazu commanded as the second Lich boosted after the pair.

"How the hell can she even DRIVE that thing?!" the driver of the second Lich-an officer- shouted over the battle noise.

"I have no idea but I'll be honest...it's kinda badass that she can!" the driver's passenger added.

"Just shut up and shoot them!"

The passenger nodded and tried to lock onto Nora's Lich but couldn't. Whenever he managed to get a lock and fire, Nora made the mini-tank jerk to the left or right, avoiding the blasts each time.

"Come on, hit them!" the driver shouted at his passenger.

"I'm trying! It would be easier if you kept us lined up with them!"

Nora then pressed a button and the main cannon turned around and it was aimed directly at their pursuers. Underneath their helmets, the two soldiers' eyes widened in horror.

"Ruby! Is there a big red button on your side?" Nora beamed.

"Yeah! Why?" Ruby inquired, eyeing the big red button.

"Push it!"

Ruby nodded and pressed it which fired a massive blast of energy at the Lich behind them. A dark red explosion erupted from behind Ruby and Nora as they kept going. RUby covered her ears at how loud it was while Nora just smiled.

"Nice shot Rubes!"

Lazu facepalmed in his tank as he turned on the side-turrets and opened fire. The turret blasts got dangerously close to Nora and Ruby's Lich and to where Jaune and Ren were still defending the village.

"Rubes! Think you can make another shot at Lazu back there?"

"On it!" Ruby pushed the red button and fired again, this time at Lazu's tank. It missed but only barely.

Jaune and Ren were still doing their best to defend the village but then as more of the soldiers neared them, arrows were shot at them from the treeline. Each arrow struck its target with extreme accuracy and hit the armored warriors either in the shoulder, forearm, or upper leg.

"What the…", Jaune's eyes soon widened in shock. He recognized these arrows. Black, and made of glass. "Oh no…"

The arrows began to glow orange and a loud roaring noise can be heard as well.

"GET DOWN!" Jaune said as he and Ren dived back into the protection of the shield as the arrows detonated. Ruby and Nora quickly got back into the shield's protection but one of the explosions caused the tank to flip and launch Ruby and Nora. Fortunately they didn't break anything due to their Auras.

"WHAT?! NO!" Lazu shouted as he heard an arrow strike next to him. He turned and saw his second in command trying to pull the arrow from his shoulder. The commander merely pushed the officer away from him, exited the tank, and ran to escape the blast radius. Before the officer detonated, three more arrows struck the Venarox tank with loud clangs. All four arrows began to glow and roar before detonating, sending flaming debris everywhere. Lazu turned for a brief moment as debris from the tank hit him and seemingly crushed him.

Malcolm rushed to Ruby and Nora and helped them to their feet. "Come on you two! Now's no time to be lying down during a win!"

"No this isn't over! This just got a whole lot worse!" Jaune shouted, anger flaring in his eyes as the memories came back the moment those arrows struck the first monster hiding under armor.

"How it can be worse?!" Malcolm asked.

As if on cue, a piece of tank debris was flung through the shield and landed dangerously close to Malcolm.

"See...this is why you NEVER say those words or any other way to say 'What could possibly go wrong?'! " Nora berated Malcolm.

There, standing with cracked and singed armor was Commander Michael Lazu.

'I'm...not...done...YET...HUMANS!" Lazu shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice however seemed to be deeper than before. His eyes were also no longer the green color the hunters remembered instead they were a solid red much like a Grimm's. "I was told...to maintain...the disguise...or...as the Admiral put it… 'to not break character.' Well...NOW...I have no choice! Just remember that you brought this on YOURSELVES!" Team RNJR and Malcolm watched as Lazu summoned a massive rune beneath him. The rune was one massive circle with a triangle encompassing another circle in the center. The entire symbol glowed blue and black and soon that glow entirely engulfed Lazu. The light only made it possible to see Lazu's silhouette as it began to shift, transform. The organic crunch of bones breaking and reshaping in an instant. The form of Lazu grew taller, horns sprouted from the head which had somewhat changed as well. Two more structures erupted from his back and they looked like wings but upside-down and what appeared to be a tail soon followed. The armor the commander wore began to shift as well. His right arm now had a pauldron while the left did not. The chest armor had changed as well though the details were indiscernible with the light still shining. Once the light faded, the figure standing before them was anything but human.

"Oh...my...Dust...what...is...THAT?!" Nora shouted as she-along with everyone else- had her eyes widen in horror and her mouth agape in shock.

The figure that replaced Lazu was clad in black, rigid armor with gold trims. The gauntlets it wore ended in sharp claws, but whether it was just the gauntlets or the being's actual fingers couldn't be known. The pauldron it wore had a symbol adorning it, a symbol consisting of two curved lines with small circles in the middle of them connected to a larger sideways shape that resembled an eye **(A/N This is the best description I can give of the Beringel symbol. Yes, that is the symbol of the main antagonist here as well)**. Attached to the lower jaw of this creature was what seemed to be the lower half of a helmet, making it look like the creature had a lower metal jaw. Physically, the monstrosity towered over them, standing at least 9 feet tall and had crimson skin and eyes that were only a slightly lighter shade of red. The horns that protruded from its head were as rigid as the armor it wore and they too were the same shade of red as the beast's scar was in the same place as it was on the commander. It still wielded Lazu's kite shield and Liuyedao but now they were proportionate for this creature to use.

"You...are one ugly mother-" Malcolm began but was cut off when the creature roared at them.

"You...and your little resistance...ends...HERE! And since I've broken the veil anyway...know the TRUE name of your KILLER! I am not Michael Lazu...I am Commander RAZAEL IGNIS! Warmaster of the FOURTH LEGION!"

"W-w-what...are...you?" Ruby managed to stammer out.

Razael merely chuckled, a deep and guttural one and responded bluntly, "I...am a demon. But I would worry more about myself if I were for now...you face me AND the last of my forces."

"Wait you have more?!" Nora got Magnhild ready for round three.

"Not soldiers...SHE saw to that. And BE AWARE...CINDER FALL! THAT ONCE I'M DONE WITH THEM...YOU'RE NEXT!" the demon warmaster shouted, though no reply was given and his wrath-filled words echoed through the air. "But," he continued, "I still have Grimm. Two...last Grimm." The demon then whistled for his last two monsterous enforces to come to his side. From far behind the treeline, two huge black shapes leaped into the air and both landed right next to Razael with a thunderous boom after a few more massive bounds. Once the dust settled, before team RNJR and Malcolm, stood two Beringels.

"Huh...so...I guess I got that right...Grimm gorillas…" Jaune muttered to himself. Now he probably wished he hadn't foreshadowed it.

"Two powerful Grimm and a demon warmaster, what hope do you have of surviving?!" Razael taunted before he and his Beringel pets charged at the five.

Razael himself focused on Jaune of all people while Malcolm, Ren and Nora dealt with one Beringel and Ruby took the other.

Ruby was hit by the Beringel's massive fist once the battle began and it sent her flying back. She managed to stop herself by planting Crescent Rose's blade firmly in the ground. The Beringel leaped and attempted to crush her by slamming both fists down on her but she managed to dodge and jump over the ape-like Grimm. She unleashed a flurry of strikes and once she landed behind it, she stabbed it in the leg to try and cripple it. Instead of crippling the massive Grimm, it simply turned its head to look at the attack with a grunt of annoyance. Ruby gasped in horror as the Grimm's hand closed around her head and lifted her off the ground. The monster drew back its other first and hit Ruby in the stomach, letting go of her head right as the hit connected and sent her flying again. The young huntress managed to land on a roof and began running across it, blasting at the Grimm as she went. The Beringel followed closely behind her, not even slowed down by the sniper shots. The massive Grimm then ripped a wall off of one of the nearby houses and threw it at the sniper. She managed to cut it in half but could only dodge as the Beringel leapt up to the roof she was currently on and brought both fists down. Ruby managed to dodge again and kept blasting the Grimm. She tried to cut the Grimm's arm off but it failed like before. The Beringel swung its arms at Ruby to try and force her back and then smashed the roof she would've landed on, causing her to fall. The huntress screamed as she fell but soon that faded as did any sign of her. The Beringel jumped down from the roof and beat its chest, roaring in triumph. However, something caught the Grimm's attention. It slowly turned around to face the house that it thought was the burial place of that girl it had just dealt with when she was no doubt crushed by the debris. Rose petals began to float past the monster which seemed to agitate it as it roared. Suddenly, breaking the door of the building, Ruby emerged and charged the Grimm, activating her Semblance to avoid its attacks. She then used her speed and ran around the Grimm, forming a cyclone of red that lifted the beast off the ground. The Beringel could only struggle to get itself free as it ascended. Once it was high enough, Ruby cut off the cyclone and had her scythe unfold into the alternate form. She then thrust it down and it pierced the Beringel's armor and hide, going right into the heart. The Grimm tried to get back up but Ruby's scythe shifted back into its normal form, aiming the barrel of the sniper directly at the Grimm's head. Ruby pulled the bolt on the rifle and fired, blasting the Grimm's head back.

The second Beringel easily swatted away Malcolm with its fist, sending him crashing into a wall. Ren began blasting at the giant ape but like with Ruby's fight, the bullets did nothing but annoy the Grimm. The Beringel threw a devastating punch that connected with Ren and sent him flying. Nora saw this and glared daggers at the Grimm that only seemed to confuse the giant simian.

"No one...hurts...REN!" Nora shouted as she rushed the Grimm and slammed her hammer into its leg. It didn't break as she intended but it did stagger the monster. The Beringel tried to smash her but she merely blasted its hand with Magnhild after it quickly shifted to its grenade launcher form. The beast recoiled as its hand was engulfed in a pink explosion. Nora then tried to slam her hammer into the creature's gut but the Beringel's free hand grabbed the weapon.

"Uh oh…" Nora muttered as her eyes widened in shock. The massive Grimm then began to prepare to throw Nora, like it was winding up to throw a ball."Ohhhhhhh Duuuuuuust!" Nora managed to cry out as the Grimm continued to wind up. Soon, the Beringel threw her into the other side of the building Ruby fell into during her fight. As luck would have it, the fuse box of the house was broken and electric wires were sparking. Nora rubbed the back of her head as he regained her composure. She noticed the sparking wires and grinned.

"Ok...now things are going to get fun," Nora said as she grabbed the wires and activated her Semblance, absorbing the energy and channeling it into her muscles. The Beringel tilted its head in confusion as she did so but then charged her. As it swung its massive fist down on Nora, she caught it the beast's arm and grinned.

"Ally-oop!" Nora shouted as she lifted the Beringel and tossed into the building behind her. **(A/N: *Cues Rules of Nature for that one part)** Nora then jumps on top of the Beringel's chest, Magnhild in hammer form and bring the massive weapon down on the Beringel's head multiple times causing black blood to erupt from what was once the Grimm's head. "That's what you get for hurting him…" Nora said as the Beringel's corpse dissipated.

With both of his enforces dealt with, Ruby, Ren and Nora turned their attention to the demon. However, Razael was no pushover. Once the fight began and he focused on Jaune, the demon warmaster brought down his massive blade to try and slice Jaune in half. The blonde knight managed to dodge the blade but not the backhand that followed. Jaune's Semblance activated and he managed to only be staggered instead of being sent flying. Apparently that seemed to anger Razael even further as he charged at the huntsman. Jaune was caught between the demon's horns as Razael charged through a few buildings and a couple of trees. The demon threw Jaune using the momentum, isolating them from the other fights.

Razael let out an animalistic grunt and taunted Jaune, "I'm surprised you managed to get THIS far, Arc! Given the records from Beacon AND the evidence in the festival…"

'What?! How do you have access to Beacon's records?!" Jaune shouted at the demon.

"Oh you'd like to know THAT wouldn't you?"

"Yeah...that's...why I asked…"

Razael growled and rushed at Jaune, weapon at the ready. He brought the blade in a side-ways arc but Jaune managed to block the attack, despite the blade's massive size. Jaune used his Semblance to push the blade back and then changed the effect from defensive to offensive. He swung his sword at the demon's leg but it does nothing.

"Ohhhhhhhh Dust…" Jaune muttered.

"Nice try!" Razael roared as he grabbed Jaune by the leg and slammed him into the ground repeatedly.

"Oh! Come! On!" Jaune shouted between each impact.

"Puny human…" Razael deadpanned as he threw Jaune into another tree, "It will be a pleasure once we've dealt with your pathetic species. Every last human on Remnant will burn before my lord! Just like Cinder turned PYRRHA NIKOS to ashes!"

"...What...what did you just say?"

"I said you're all going to burn just like that pathetic excuse of a Maiden candidate that took the moniker of the 'Invincible Girl'! If one takes a title, you should live up to it! Invincible Girl...bah! If she was so 'invincible' how come all it took to take her down was my lord's pet protege?! If she was so 'invincible' then she wouldn't have needed Ozpin and Ironwood to TRANSFER the power of the Fall Maiden to her! She would've gotten it from the normal ways, either a convoluted random selection or the previous Maiden thinking about her in their final moments. She didn't earn that power nor did she DESERVE IT!" Razael advanced closer to Jaune, the armor he wore clanged in response to every thundering step.

Jaune got to his feet, his grip on his blade tightening and his eyes glaring daggers at the massive demon.

"Take...that...back."

"Take it back? Take it BACK?! Hehehehehehe-AHAHAHAHAHAHA! How can I?! It's the truth! You can deny it ALL you want Arc but that doesn't make it any less true!"

"I said...take...it...back."

Razael leaned forward to where he and Jaune were at looking each other dead in the eye. "And what will you-the failure of Beacon or at least one of them-do about it if I don't? Kill me?"

"YES!" Jaune's shield lit up and he bashed the demon in the face. Razael was caught off guard as the metal impacted against him and made him stagger to the right. As he was recovering Jaune rushed forward and unleashed a flurry of sword swings against the demon, each attack empowered by his Semblance. At first, the attacks continued to be useless, just annoying stings to the demon, but then, Jaune hits Razael's knee and draws blood. The warmaster roars in a mixture of both pain and outrage. He tried to retaliate with a shield-bash of his own but the blonde knight simply dodged. Jaune slashed at the exposed arm of the demon and more blood was drawn from the demon.

"INSOLENT LITTLE BASTARD!" the demon shouted as he tried to bring his blade down on Jaune.

However, he froze when he heard a very hyper-active sounding voice shout out, "Hey!"

The demon turned his head to look at who else would dare to challenge him. It was Nora, Ruby, Ren and Malcolm.

"You…" Razael said, his voice dripping with wrath. "Five on one...that hardly seems fair...for any of YOU!" The demon readied his blade and prepared to charge but then he froze as there was another slicing sound. Jaune was now in front of the demon, whose eyes were wide in shock. Razael quickly made sure that he was still in tact and sighed in relief...until his left horn fell to the ground. "You...you just...you just cut my HORN OFF?!"

"Consider that...the payment for disrespecting her," Jaune glared daggers at him again.

Razael growled and looked around at the five. "This...isn't...over. The advent of the age of demons is coming," Razael held up his gauntlet, a display of runes being brought up, "and you won't be able to stop us!" He pressed a few of them and smirked; the failsafe was activated. The warmaster turned back into the form of Lazu and pressed one more rune-button. Out of nowhere, the damaged Lich mini-tank boosted between him and the five hunters. The demon in human form jumped into the driver seat and then sped off.

"After him!" Nora shouted, sending a few grenades his way. The demon rolled his eyes and created another large rune. He sent it in front of the Lich tank and he drove right through it, but he didn't show up on the other side.

"Awwww! He got away!" Nora pouted.

"Well...this...has been an eventful few days, hasn't it?" Malcolm grinned, trying to lighten the mood.

 **(A/N: Well! That took a long time to write! Longest chapter yet. First-well second- major battle since Beacon was the first. Now is it a bit cliched to have a demon's color-scheme be mostly red? Yes. But once again, I pull inspiration of the design from Darksiders, this time the second one. Specifically, the Legion Champion from the Black Stone. Also pulling inspiration from Halo with the Lich tanks being based off of Revenants from Halo Reach. After the next chapter, the focus will shift from team RNJR to the villains, Blake, Yang and Weiss. But Weiss' chapter will also set up another story with a very insidious character from another series. Not sure if that COUNTS as a crossover when it's just one character who might as well be a universal force but...well we'll see when we get to that. On a side note, this story could use more reviews. I mean what story doesn't but here, the story is almost at 600 views and only a few reviews? I gotta know if you guys are liking this so please send some feedback. Anyway, as always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	11. Chapter 11: Aftermath

At least three days had passed since the battle of Arroyo and team RNJR had found out what the failsafe Razael had activated. There was nothing left of his forces, not even shards of armor or weapons. Somehow, Razael had disintegrated every last piece of tech except for that Lich he used to escape and the rifle Ren had taken. The crystal that once powered the rifle however was nothing but dust now. Malcolm had commented that it was a smart move. "Even a single shard of tech could be reverse-engineered given enough time," Malcolm said when they discovered it.

The repairs to Arroyo had been going relatively well but team RNJR had stayed long enough sadly. They still had a mission to complete, a conspiracy to unravel, demons to kill, and kingdoms to save. The four young huntsmen had been helping out in the repairs of course, but they couldn't stay forever. Mistral was so close. Ren had been looking at the map one night and decided that if they left in the afternoon, then they would arrive by early morning the next day. The village they were headed to next was named Kam'ino, a port town that received a majority of its supplies from over-seas but at times a ship from the town would go back to the mainland. The four of them talked to Morgan about their departure.

"I understand," the elderly boar faunus said.

"If things were different, we would've stayed until everything was finished," Nora beamed.

"But you're mission takes you somewhere else. No doubt you plan on going to Mistral."

"Wait...how did you…" Ruby questioned.

"It's simple. If you continue on your current path you'd reach Kam'ino by the early hours of tomorrow. I can give you some transportation to make it less tiring. We have a convoy heading to Kam'ino in order to get some more supplies for the repairs. Malcolm will be in charge of the convoy as well."

"Thank you" Ren bowed to the elder in respect.

Half an hour later, team RNJR was on its way to Kam'ino, Arroyo behind them and Mistral in front of them. Malcolm was still clad in his combat armor but fortunately, it seemed that after Razael's Grimm horde stunt, the local Grimm had become more tame. Well as tame as a Grimm could be. There were still a few brave beasts, mainly an Ursa Major that Jaune quickly dispatched. Jaune actually pictured the Ursa as Razael when he bisected it. He still heard Razael's words echo in his mind about how Pyrrha was just a pathetic failure. If the blonde knight ever saw the demon warmaster again anytime soon, that missing horn would be the least of his worries. No one disrespects Pyrrha Nikos like that.

Several hours had passed since Jaune killed the one Ursa Major that had tried to attack them. The caravan had set up camp in a clearing close to a cliff that overlooked Kam'ino. Despite the fact that Malcolm was on watch for the first few hours of the night, Jaune didn't sleep. Somewhere out there...Cinder was no doubt watching them.

"Jaune? You're not sleeping?" Ruby said, rolling over in her sleeping roll to face him.

"No...not tonight," the blonde knight replied.

"Why?"

"Because...she's out there. She was HERE, probably long gone now but she is mocking us!"

"It...it could've been someone else with explosive Dust arrows."

"No...it was her."

"But...then...why would she help us? And why would"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…"

"Eh?"

"That's why. She's doing this out of necessity. Razael wants her dead...so she's guessing we'll help her just because we share a common enemy. If she ever tries to talk to us about 'an alliance'...I'm going to avenge Pyrrha."

"WE are going to avenge her. You're not doing it alone...remember?"

"Yeah...I know...I just…"

"It...it's ok Jaune. I get it. If...you want to talk about it…"

"You, Ren, and Nora will be the first to know."

The rest of the night was rather uneventful.

When morning came, Jaune was the last to wake whereas normally Nora was the one to sleep in. It took some prodding but after at least fifteen minutes of shaking him by his shoulders, Ruby managed to wake him.

"Morning Ruby…" Jaune said, still half-asleep.

"Morning? Jaune it's almost noon!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Wait what?!" Jaune bolted up in his sleeping roll.

"I knew that would wake you up."

"Oh ha ha. Very funny Rubes."

"Come on, Ren and Nora are helping pack up the caravan. Once we get down into Kam'ino, Malcolm says he can give us one last bit of help. He knows a guy who can take us over to Mistral!"

"So close. We can finally get some answers."

Meanwhile, outside, Ren and Nora were helping Malcolm pack everything up.

"Ok Nora," Ren said, standing on top of one of the wagons to secure the rods to the top of it, "toss the tent rods up here."

"Okey-dokey Ren!" Nora beamed as she threw a set of tent rods up to Ren, only for them to hit him in the face.

"Oh my Dust! Ren! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hit you!"

"I-it's fine...Nora...oh Dust...I forgot how hard you throw…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"Nora I said it was fine."

"A-are you sure? I-I think I see blood!"

'No...no you're just over-reacting Nora."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Nora was still making sure Ren was fine, which her partner merely smirked at. That was Nora for you, after all. Once everything was packed up and everyone was ready, the caravan headed down to Kam'ino. The village itself was probably the largest on Patch with several different oak buildings including a few inns, houses, small store houses and shops. There were a few ships coming into port as well. Apparently today was one of the calmer days for the village. Malcolm walked up to Ruby and handed her a note.

"Alright. Head to the address on that and you should find an old friend of mine. He owns a ship that takes supplies to and from Mistral City. He can take you straight there. Just tell him Malcolm sent you."

"Thanks Malcolm," Ruby beamed.

"If you guys ever come back to Patch-"

"I live here you know."

"Oh. Huh...didn't know that."

"Trust me, we'll come back and see everyone in Arroyo again!"

"Good. Hope you guys find what you're looking for out there."

"Good luck in Arroyo!" Nora waved to the ex-soldier as he turned to rejoin his group. Team RNJR turned to find the captain of the ship to Mistral.

'Ok...let...me...see…," Ruby said looking at both the note and a conveniently placed map of the town for newcomers. "Ok...so...we need to head...that way!" Ruby pointed to her right. "Come on guys!" Ruby sped off leaving rose petals behind but then came back in a flash when she remembered that they wouldn't have been able to keep up with her if she used her semblance.

Once the group had found the captain and worked out a deal (and a few less than appropriate comments by the captain's drunk first mate, comments that made Nora want to break his legs) team RNJR finally had a way to Mistral. The captain showed them to his ship which was by no means a cruise liner but the team already knew that they were forgoing the luxuries on this mission. Since they already had everything packed up, team RNJR boarded the vessel.

Next stop, Mistral.

 **(And now, team RNJR is finally going to arrive in Mistral! But then again, even their enemies have forces in the sea. Next chapter we'll focus on the villains, introduce some new ones, re-introduce some old ones, and one of them just being so care free in the presence of killer robots, faunus extremists, demons from Hell itself that she just gets ice cream. Also in one of the next coming chapters...some people might wanna kill the mastermind if they're attached to team FNKI. Anyway, enough foreshadowing. As always, read, review and enjoy)**


	12. Chapter 12: Court of Lies

Four days ago, the demon warmaster known as Razael had launched an attack on the village of Arroyo on Patch. The attack had ended in failure due to those four huntsmen from Vale, the local militia and...her. SHE was there, hiding in the trees and firing on his army. Not only was he forced to abandon his persona of mercenary commander Michael Lazu and change into his true form, but he was also forced to retreat. This...would not sit well with the master. Once he had driven through the rune-portal he had created, the forested landscape of Patch had changed to the equally familiar wasteland. The ground itself was black, as if the land was covered by solidified magma. The sky itself over this wasteland was dark purple, the only variation was the white glow of the broken moon. Razael had returned to the Badlands. He grunted as he revved up the Lich and boosted further into the wasteland.

Soon, Razael reached his destination. In the center of this seemingly dead continent rose a massive structure. It resembled a pyramid, colored the same shade of black as the actual land. The material was no doubt obsidian but there also seemed to be technological elements as well. Red power conduits surged across the surface of the structure, a faint glow emanating from them. And this was just the top. Razael drove up to the pyramid and waited as the pyramid's side opened for him. The two massive pieces of stone parted to create a door that led to a vehicle elevator. Razael drove his Lich onto the platform as the door sealed behind him. Red lights began flashing as the elevator descended. As the elevator continued to descend into the depths of the earth, Razael silently prayed. Something he almost never did nowadays. Ever since he fell, he had never prayed to any god. Now...now he was praying his master wasn't in the mood to use the flaming iron maiden his brother had given him. Hopefully, their history was more than enough to protect him.

"Please...for the love of everything in CREATION...let him BE in a good mood," Razael muttered to himself.

Once the elevator had stopped its descent, the full extent of the facility was revealed. It was a massive underground base, filled with thousands, if not millions of soldiers. Some wore the trappings of the White Fang, though most notable was a massive man wearing a full facemask and a weaponized chainsaw. Other soldiers wore the armor of the Razael's garrison. Even more looked nothing like the other two, resembling bipedal reptiles. Razael jumped out of the driver's seat of the Lich, letting another armored demon soldier take his place. The warmaster took notice of two of his master's personal guard, the Praetorians. These soldiers were clad in armor that seemed nothing like the soldiers and officers under Razael's command. Each of them wore expressionless masks that were made of moonstone, if Razael remembered right. Hoods covered the rest of their heads. The attire they wore was more akin to ceremonial robes instead of proper battle armor making them seem rather vulnerable even if they were armed with massive polearms. Razael knew how dangerous these Praetorians were though, after all, each shared a similar background to himself.

Each of the Praetorians, and even Razael himself, were of the Fallen caste of demons. Demons are either born or created. Fallen demons were once angels that were forced out of the White City for one reason or another, be it having a forbidden relationship or going against one of the many doctrines the paladins of the light were taught. The second caste, the Pureblood caste, were born from one of the Nine Circles of their homeworld, Hell.

Razael walked up to the two Praetorians and spoke. "Is our lord busy?"

"No. In fact he...was waiting for your return," the first Praetorian said in a monotone voice.

"I see…" Razael sighed and decided to get it over with and walked further into the facility, soon entering a massive room with a throne situated at the other end. A dark figure sat in the throne, reading a book. Razael sighed one last, approached, and took a knee before the figure.

"My lord...I have returned to give you my...report on Arroyo."

The figure marked the page he was one and then spoke, "Continue then Commander."

"Sir…" Razael began.

About half an hour later, the throne had been converted into a meeting room. The throne was still present in the room but in front of it was a long marble table that was able to seat all of the commanders at this man's-or demon's-disposal. Razael was already seated at the table after everything had been said and done from his report to his master.

"Now then," the mastermind in the shadows said to his Praetorians, "assemble the other commanders. Sustrai, Black, Merlot, Taurus, all of them."

The Praetorians bowed and headed out.

The first two to be gathered were Adam Taurus, along with his lieutenant, and Merlot.

The next pair of Praetorians knocked on and opened the door of the quarters of another trio of commanders.

"Oh...it's you guys," came Mercury Black's uninterested voice as he put down one of the few comics he could come across in this place, an issue of Red vs Blue. Of course, the Praetorians decided to interrupt him just as Agent Carolina was about to fight Sharkface.

"What do you want?" Mercury groaned as he put his comic down.

"A meeting has been called for all of the commander of our master. Commander Razael Ignis has returned from the field...with failure," the Praetorian deadpanned.

"Ignis eh? Guess he was a bit too _hot-headed_?"

The Praetorians simply stood there, not responding to Mercury's pun.

"Really? Nothing. You're just...going to stand there?"

No response.

"Wow you guys are no fun."

"Where are Commander Sustrai and Commander Neopolitan?"

"Em's in the library last time I checked...as for the little mute...good luck finding her. Maybe try the nearest ice cream place."

Once again, the Praetorian's fail to grasp Mercury's humor.

"Seriously, do you guys just...NOT have a sense of humor?"

"All emotion was stripped from us Commander Black. Apparently you don't remember the briefing on us."

"Or I just didn't go."

"I would recommend you head to the throne room immediately otherwise we will have to drag you there. Or our lord will teleport you in."

"Well...even after four months I am NOT use to the whole teleporting thing so...might as well."

With that, the Praetorians nodded and split up, one going off to find Neo while the other went to find Emerald.

Mercury, despite being the third to be told of the meeting, was the last to arrive. He took a seat next to Emerald and Neo, the former silently chastised Mercury for his tardiness while the latter somehow managed to get a bowl of Neapolitan ice cream and was happily eating it. That even managed to confuse Razael and the mastermind of this operation, even to the point of Razael asking where she got it from. Her response was an innocent grin and a shrug.

"Ah...Commander Black...I was WONDERING if you would join us," the mysterious lord stated.

"Yeah well I-" Mercury began.

"Save your excuses Commander. We have more pressing matters to attend to. Not your trivial delays. Tell me...Commanders Sustrai, Black, and Neopolitan...do you remember these four?" the mastermind pressed four buttons on his throne and a holographic image came up with pictures of Ruby, Jaune, Nora and Ren.

"What the? That little brat from Beacon?"

"So you know her. What of the others?"

Emerald spoke up, "Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. The remaining members of team JNPR."

"Good...you remember them. Because these four INTERLOPERS are responsible for the loss of an entire garrison and...the Venarox-44 Anti-Aura Artillery."

"WHAT?!" a new voice spoke out this time followed by a loud clang. The new voice belonged to a man who wore a grey jacket with a high collar and a red shirt underneath it. He had grey hair, a mustache and a beard. One of the man's eyes was brown while the other was a red cybernetic replacement. The clanging noise that followed his outburst was his right robotic arm slamming against the table. This man was none other than Nero Merlot, CEO and founder of Merlot Industries. Behind the mad scientist were two of his combat androids, the Ronin S-77 Combat Android. "You mean to tell me, Commander Ignis, that MY creation was destroyed by one of the very same bumblers that forced me to abandon my offshore Grimm laboratory?! You imbecile!"

"Enough," the mastermind stated bluntly and coldly.

"A-apologies my lord."

"Now then...they've made it QUITE clear as to what it is...they...seek. They seek the truth. The Queen may have...deserted us...but that does not mean they will not continue on. Mercury and Emerald used Mistral as their cover, if you'd remember."

"Kinda hard to forget something like that," Mercury blurted out.

The mastermind glared at Mercury from his throne which shut him up. "I have unleashed some of our naval forces to deal with them before they even reach Mistral, give them a watery grave. However...I feel they will fail in their mission."

"Well, my lord," another new voice said, "what EXACTLY did you send?" The new voice belonged to a man who had black hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a simply grey outfit with three red rectangular shaped medals pinned on his chest and black boots.

"A few aquatic Grimm. A school of Kamoah led by a Hydra."

"I'm not so worried about the Hydra failing. The shark Grimm though…"

"On the very likely chance that this...team RNJR reaches Mistral along with their shadow...I have some missions for you, my loyal commanders. Firstly, Doctor Merlot, when this meeting is over, I want a progress report on _Pantheon_."

"Of course my lord. It'll be on your desk shortly," Merlot states.

"Mercury, Emerald, Neo, you three are to be deployed to Mistral. Monitor EVERYTHING."

"What? No fighting?" Mercury said, shocked.

"Only on MY command. Admiral Vitallion."

"Yes my lord?" the man wearing grey, now identified as Admiral Vitallion, responded.

"Take Adam Taurus and his lieutenant to Patch."

"What's on Patch that you need?" Adam inquired.

"Well...how shall I put this...this mission is a win-win. I'm able to send a message DIRECTLY to the interlopers and YOU are able to continue your vendetta. Commander Razael...you are to remain here for the time being. As for me…"

That last part got everyone's attention. Razael and Vitallion grin while everyone else was shocked.

'What do you plan to do...Lord Belial?" Razael asked.

The mastermind, Belial, rose from his throne and stepped into the light. He had dark hair, brown eyes and was clad in a set of heavy armor. It resembled old plate armor but it was technologically advanced. A helmet began to form around his head from the collar of the armor. Said helmet was adorned with two short horns of disproportionate size, the left being smaller than the right.

"I plan," Belial began, his voice becoming synthesized and his eyes becoming blood red, "to send a message...written in the blood of the innocent to General James Ironwood, himself."

 **(A/N: And now, the big bad has a name and a look. Belial. I'll get into more detail about him further down the line. The Kamoah's name is a very corrupted version of the Hawaiian word for shark. The next two chapters will be Blake and Yang chapters. After that, Belial's going to send his message. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	13. Chapter 13: Vale's Resident Ninja

Vale was in ruin. Ever since Beacon was lost and the Dragon frozen, the Grimm have been running amok in the streets. The huntsmen that were left in the city formed a resistance against the Grimm, scavenging supplies where they could and clearing out Grimm when possible. Almost all the teams from Beacon were a part of this resistance, led by Glynda Goodwitch. However, the resistance was getting help from someone. Over the past few days, kunai have showed up outside Glynda's tent with locations of small White Fang outposts. Glynda knew who it was, of course. Why she didn't just show herself and help was something the former Beacon professor had no idea about. If only she knew.

Blake Belladonna was currently resting on one of the many vacant rooftops in the ruined city. She had managed to do relatively well for herself ever since Beacon fell. Scavenging supplies like food, water, Dust, and information. The last resource she normally got through the White Fang depots she normally hit. She knew why she was doing this, there was no question about her motive. She wanted to get justice for what the White Fang had done, for what HE had done. She remembered that day all too well. The day she failed her partner, someone she cared about. She'd even go so far as to say she had feelings for her partner but she failed. All she could do during the chaos was watch as that psychopath cut off the arm of the blonde brawler who had come charging in to save her. For several nights after Beacon's fall, she was haunted by that moment every time she closed her eyes. Over and over, she would watch helplessly as Yang Xiao Long rushed forward toward Adam Taurus to save Blake only for Adam to simply smirk and slice right through Yang's arm. She tried pulling all night tracking missions to avoid the dreams but she could only do that for so long. She had to sleep eventually and when she did, she dreaded it.

She was about to fall asleep when she heard a loud clatter from the streets silently moved to the edge of the roof she was on and looked down to see four soldiers. Two of them were clad in the standard White Fang garb but by the looks of them, they were new to the organization. After all, ever since the Atlas robots went rogue, Faunus flocked to the join the extremists in droves. The two of them had dropped a crate that had spilled its contents on the pavement. Assault rifles and shotguns but Blake didn't recognize the model and make. That was when she heard a heavily synthesized voice call out to the rookies.

"Hey! I thought I said be careful with that!" he barked. He was clad in some new kind of armor with a gold-domed helmet with red optics and two gas-mask like extensions. Next to the golden clad higher-up was a soldier wearing a jet-black domed helm, otherwise the armor was relatively the same.

"S-sorry sir!" one of the rookies stammered. The rookie that responded was a girl with red hair and a pair of red wolf-like ears atop her head. "I-i lost my grip a-and-"

"Save it rookie! I don't want excuses, I want results! Now, both of, pick up the weapons and let's get going again."

"Y-yes sir!" She and her partner began to pick up the weapons.

Blake decided now was the time to strike. She drew both blades of Gambol Shroud and jumped down. She landed right on top of the black-helmed soldier, knocking the rifle out of his hand.

"What the?!" the golden soldier exclaimed as he drew a sword and shield. The two WF rookies drew swords as well.

Blake looked up at the three and merely stood calmly. The golden officer rushed the Faunus ninja and swung his blade at her neck, trying to decapitate her. He landed the hit but soon the body vanished. Blake then drop-kicked the officer from the side and sent him flying, his sword and shield clattering on the ground next to him. The second WF rookie-a guy guy with black hair and rabbit ears- rushed Blake with his sword. Blake simply parried all of the strikes this guy threw at her. Clearly he wasn't the best fighter, he kept doing the same thing over and over and expected a different result. She tripped the rookie and then knocked him out with a kick to the jaw. Blake then turned to the red-headed wolf-girl. The poor girl was shaking; she was terrified.

"I-i surrender! J-just please d-don't-!

A shot rang out as Blake blocked a bullet from the black-domed soldier she knocked down before. He had regained consciousness and grabbed his odd assault rifle. Blake then turned her blade into its gun form and shot the soldier. His entire body was encased in ice but he was alive. Blake then sheathed her blade and walked up to the wolf-girl.

"P-please...d-don't hurt me," she said quietly.

"I won't," Blake replied, "You're not like the others...you shouldn't be here."

"I-i told myself the same thing but...I couldn't say no."

Blake could tell that the wolf-girl was looking at the other rookie she had knocked out.

"Friend of yours?"

"M-more than that…"

"I see." Blake understood this girl. Someone she cares for dragged her into an organization of extremists and a cause she doesn't believe in.

"D-don't get me wrong...I WANT humans and Faunus to be equals but…"

"I understand. Take my advice...and leave the White Fang as soon as you can."

"L-leave?! But you can't leave the White Fang! If you try, they'll send assassins to kill you! Some...green haired girl with chain-scythes, a guy with shotgun boots, some really short girl who really likes ice cream and who knows what else they've got?!"

Blake's eyes widened. "Did...did those...assassins...ever say their names?"

"U-um...y-yeah. Emerald, Mercury, and Neo."

Blake knew Neo well enough. She was Roman Torchwick's henchwoman that had helped him escape after his Paladin had been destroyed and who had no doubt been there to free Roman when the two were on one of Ironwood's ships. Emerald and Mercury were students from Mistral who competed in the tournament. Those two fought against Coco and Yatsuhashi in the doubles round and Mercury fought against Yang in the singles round.

"Where were the guns going?" Blake asked.

"S-some club in the downtown area. I-i had just been transferred over there by one of the h-higher ups in the Fang. S-some real big guy with a chainsaw."

"The lieutenant from the train…"

"E-eh?"

"Nothing. So...you said you were heading to a club?"

"Y-yeah. Some night club run by a guy named Junior."

 _The club Yang went to with Neptune to find out more about Torchwick_ , Blake thought.

"What's your name?"

"M-me? R-roxanne."

"Ok then Roxanne, first off, lose the mask. I'm going to send somewhere you'll be safe from the Fang. It's the main base where the huntsmen from Beacon are. If you find a rabbit faunus named Velvet, tell her an old friend sent you."

Roxanne quickly takes the Grimm mask off and tosses it aside.

"W-wait...Velvet? You mean that girl from Team CFVY?"

"You know her?"

"O-only because I saw the Vytal Festival team rounds. I saw her and the rest of her team fight a team from Atlas."

"Makes sense," Blake then turns and walks over to the gold-hemled officer. "So...you know these guys?"

"N-not really. T-they call themselves the Fourth Legion. I-i just thought they were mercenaries but…"

"But?"

"But they're too heavily armed...for mercs. I-i mean they have tanks!"

"What?!"

"Y-yeah! Somehow these guys have tanks, rockets, e-even combat androids! H-hell they never even take off their helmets!"

Blake then grasps the golden helmet of the officer and throws it off and discovers the demon behind the mask. However, unlike the rank and file, the officers have tan skin. When Blake discovered the true appearance she backed away in shock.

"W-what is THAT THING?!" Roxanne shouted in horror. The demon then woke up and threw a right hook to Blake's jaw, sending her flying.

The demon quickly grabbed its helmet and put it back on. "ROOKIE!" the officer shouted as he tossed her a rifle. "KILL HER!" The officer grabbed his sword and shield and waited for Roxanne to fire.

"DO IT ALREADY ROOKIE!"

When Roxanne wouldn't open fire, the demon soldier simply grunted and started walking towards Blake, who was still recovering. "Fine...I'll do it MYSELF." The soldier was right on top of Blake, his blade ready to be plunged down into her chest. As Blake fully recovered, a shot rang out and the soldier froze. He dropped his sword and shield fell to the left. Roxanne had shot him in the back. She quickly threw the rifle aside, visibly shaken.

"Roxanne?" Blake looked to the Faunus and tried to comfort her. "Roxanne...he wasn't human...he sure as hell wasn't a Faunus either...and if you didn't shoot...I would be dead."

Roxanne quickly changed the topic by asking, "W-where's that hunter...base...again?"

"It's down by the docks. If you take Fifth Street and avoid the parks, you should avoid any Grimm."

"W-what are you going to do?"

"I'm taking out that listening post in the club."

A few hours later, Roxanne had reached the hunter base and Blake had reached the nightclub. As expected, soldiers of the White Fang and this new Fourth Legion faction were swarming the place. Going through the front was a sure fire way to get killed. She saw an air vent on the top of the establishment. That was her way inside but there was only one issue. A sniper was on the roof looking down at the street. If he managed to get a radio in to the other soldiers inside, her job would be a whole lot harder. She covertly ran across the rooftops around to the side, avoiding the gaze of the sniper. She snuck up on the soldier, noticing he was one of those that belonged to the Fourth Legion. His helmet differed from the rank and file and officers as well. Apparently helmet-type for the Fourth Legion was akin to the coloration of Atlesian soldiers. This soldier's helmet appeared to be more angular than the officers and normal troops and his armor seemed to be lighter to grant more agility. His helmet was covered by a grey hooded cloak which cast a shadow over a majority of the helmet except for the optics. Three glowing red orbs shone from beneath the hood and looked down the sight of the rifle he held. Blake knew this guy wasn't human or Faunus; he was some...monster so what she did next didn't phase her. She wrapped the whip form of Gambol Shroud around the sniper's neck and pulled him back with a hard jerk. He landed on his back looking up at her as she brought down her sword, impaling him in the chest. The glowing optics flickered for a moment but then went dark. She had thought about taking the sniper's armor as a disguise but opted for the air-vent route instead. She quickly but silently maneuvered the grate off of the vent and climbed in.

After silently crawling through the vents for what seemed liked hours, she found a place to drop down from. An empty office room. She slid the grate off and dropped down from above. At first she had assumed everything was fine until she heard something-or rather someone-right behind her. She quickly drew Gambol Shroud in its pistol form and aimed at the source of the noise only to find a group of people bound and gagged that were all shocked by her sudden entrance. Most of them seemed to be hired muscle wearing black business suits, red sunglasses , black fedoras and red ties. Three individuals stood out amongst the group though. Two of them were girls-sisters by the looks of them. One of them wore a red strapless dress with black lining. She had feathers above her left ear, black fur held by a grey chain hanging off her shoulders, a black bow tied around her waist and long red boots with stiletto heels. The other wore a similar dress but was white with cyan lining along with a flower pin above her left ear, a white feather scarf, a silver pad with cyan and red feathers on her left shoulder, white gloves, a small silver bracer over the glove on her left arm, a bow in the center of the top-most part of her bodice, a silver chained belt, cyan wings on the lower back, and long white boots with blades at the heels. The third, Blake guessed, was Junior. He wore a white dress shirt with a black vest over it, red tie, black gloves, and black dress pants.

Blake quickly made sure no one was else was nearby and then walked over to Junior. She kneeled down in front of him and removed the gag.

"Gah! Finally! About time someone came!" Junior whisper-shouted.

"Junior?" Blake inquired.

"Who wants to know exactly?"

"Well...the person who's willing to help take your club back."

"I'm sensing that there's more to this. You want something in return don't you?"

"...Information. I want information."

"Doesn't everyone?"

"I heard you know everything from...a reliable source…"

"Yeah...and?"

"Once this is all done...I need everything you have on the White Fang...and the Fourth Legion."

"I can't exactly make any promises here. It's not like these guys have been forthcoming with information. Hell, before they barged in during that whole mess with the tournament, I hadn't even heard of a Fourth Legion!"

"Wait...what? They moved in DURING the tournament?"

"Yeah. Though they made their move once all the shit hit the fan."

"And they're working with the Fang...and given what I saw under their helmets…"

"Wait..you saw one of those freaks without their fancy mask on? They never take those off!"

"So I'm told."

"Look. Untie us and press that button under my desk."

Blake's weapon transformed into its katana and cut Junior free. She then walked over to his desk and pressed the button he mentioned. One of the walls in his office rotated, showing an entire spare armory. Hatchets, pistols, a few rifles, a pair of red claws and a giant bazooka. She turned to look at Junior, eyebrow raised.

"What? I'm an underworld information broker. Having a spare armory is THAT absurd?" the club owner defended as he finished untying his men.

Blake shrugged her shoulders and silently admitted that it wasn't the most absurd thing she'd seen today.

Junior grabbed the bazooka that changed into a bat, the girl in red and black-Miltiades or Miltia Malachite- grabbed the red claws, and the other henchmen armed themselves with the rifles, hatchets and pistols.

"What about her?" Blake motioned to the girl in white.

"Don't worry about Melanie," Miltia said smirking.

At that moment, the door to the office was opened by one of the Fourth Legion soldiers.

"Hey! What's going on in…here…," the soldier said as he stepped through the doorway. Before the soldier could even reach for his rifle, Melanie kicked the soldier several times in the chest, legs, and face. Instead of blunt power being put into the attacks, the kicks left extremely deep cut marks. With several slash marks all over his body, the soldier fell forward onto his face, cracking the visor of his helmet further. Melanie stood over her handiwork proudly and motioned for two of the others to pull him in.

"So," Blake said, turning to Junior and overcoming her surprise that Melanie's weapons were her heels, "how many?"

"At least 30 White Fang, 20 of these Fourth Legion assholes from what I remember and at least two guys in charge-one Faunus, one Legion," Junior responded.

"You sound worried about those two."

"The Legion guy has some...ridiculously long sword which, if you ask me, is compensating for something. No robot voice either like the rest of them. The White Fang guy, from what I can tell, is a bear Faunus with a weaponized jackhammer. Some sort of motif they have where the higher-ups in the Fang use weaponized tools to symbolize whatever crap they think it does."

A Legion higher up and another lieutenant from the Fang. This day just keeps getting better and better.

Down on the ground floor of Junior's club, the fifty soldiers of both the Fourth Legion and White Fang were either on break and enjoying the drinks or they were still working moving supplies.

"Hey?" one of the White Fang-a deer Faunus- by the stairs said, turning to another.

"Yeah?" the second-a fox faunus- replied.

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

"What, you mean stuck in a nightclub that's been converted into a listening post, working with the Legion, and waiting for the rest of the world to go to shit?"

"No that's not what I mea-," the deer Faunus was cut off by a kick to the back of the head that sent him flying. The fox Faunus grabbed his rifle but as soon as he did, a black ribbon wrapped around his leg.

"Oh for the love of-," the second Faunus began as he was pulled off his feet and then kicked in the jaw by Blake.

With that, everyone reacher for their weapons and aimed at Blake. Junior then walked up beside Blake, his bazooka-bat hefted over his shoulder.

"You know...I'm getting a serious case of deja vu here," Junior blurted out.

"This happens often then?" Blake inquired.

"Only two other times. Except then...it was me and my men against Blondie."

"Blondie?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now...let's take back my club," Junior snapped his fingers and the rest of his men readied their weapons. "Ladies first," Junior motioned to Blake who just rolled her eyes. She vanished using her Semblance and sliced through two of the Fourth Legion men. After that, chaos erupted. Junior's men, the White Fang, and the Fourth Legion engaged in firefights and close range fighting. The Malachite Twins were fighting together against the extremists and soldiers in a flurry of blades. Junior landed several devastating hits against the White Fang and Legion grunts, sending them flying. Two of Junior's hired help had just finished dealing with two WF grunts when one of them was impaled through the back with a jackhammer and the other was sliced in half. As the bodies of the men were pushed aside and the blood pooled beneath them, the two officers stepped forward. The one from the White Fang wore the same attire as the lieutenant that was currently with Adam but his Grimm mask resembled that of an Ursa. The Legion captain wore a grey trenchcoat over his standard armor which was colored entirely black with blue optics on his helmet. The Legion captain let out a long sigh.

"Ok," the Legion captain spoke in a VERY thick accent **(A/N: If you're wondering what kind of accent, think of it like how the Orcs of Warhammer or Lord of the Rings talk, so some weird form of a British or Cockney accent)** , "'uo handle teh humies...I'll get 'er." He directed his massive 7 foot long blade towards Blake.

"No," came the low voice of the faunus.

"Eh?! Whaddya mean NO?! Rememba' who's in charge 'ere mate!"

"We BOTH are. So...as I said...YOU will take the 'humies' ,as you delicately put it, and i will deal with the traitor. Just try not to die."

"Oi! I'm not gunna die ta a bunch of humies! Rememba who you're talkin' ta!"

The Faunus pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing his mask up a bit and thought, _Of all the captains IN the Fourth Legion...I'm stuck with this buffoon. This is karma….isn't it?_

"Fine...just kill them!"

"Don't need ta tell me twice mate!" The captain readied his sword and rushed towards Junior, Melanie, and Miltia while the White Fang member charged Blake.

Blake kicked another White Fang goon in the face, cracking his mask and sending him flying. She spun the blade form of Gambol Shroud in her hand and then thrust it behind her, directly into the chest of an approaching Fourth Legion soldier. She withdrew the blade as a trail of crimson left the soldier's followed it. Suddenly, the pommel of a weapon was smacked into her back and she was hit in the back of the leg with a powerful kick, bringing her to her knees for a moment.

"Hello...Blake. I have strict orders to bring you to Adam alive...but he never said you were to be UNHARMED," the WF officer roared as he brought down his weaponized jackhammer on Blake's head, only for her entire body to vanish. The Faunus quickly swung around to block two strikes from Vale's resident ninja. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed until the WF captain pushed Blake back. The Faunus rushed Blake and swung his weapon but the cat faunus dodged every strike. She slashed at the White Fang with the bladed sheathe of Gambol Shroud but he barely avoided it. The White Fang tried to do a sweep-the-leg kick to knock Blake off balance, but she merely jumped over it and kicked him in the jaw. He was sent flying back for a moment but quickly got back on his feet and continued the assault. He swung his jackhammer in an overhead arc but hit another of Blake's shadows.

"I'm getting real TIRED of this shadow-clone shit, Blake!" the White Fang roared. He smirked as he turned around to see Blake sneaking up on him. He swung his jackhammer to send her flying but Blake used her semblance once more, this time was different though. She had augmented the clone with Fire dust and thus turned it into a firebomb. Once the weaponized jackhammer made impact with the clone, it exploded and sended the bear Faunus flying through a wall.

The Fourth Legion captain cracked his neck and then rushed his three opponents-Melanie, Miltia, and Junior-who were currently finishing up with some of the grunts of the Legion. The captain then leapt into the air and brought his sword down, cracking the floor and sending all three of them flying.

"Heh...ya might'a been a match for da boyz...but ya ain't gonna stand a chance against me! Might as well call me Sephiroth mates!" the captain cackled.

"Is...that a reference?" Miltia asked.

"Wait wha? None a ya know who Sephiroth is?!"

"Well...no...and it is VERY hard to understand you," Melanie added.

"Ok...what 'bout Cloud? Know 'im?"

"No," the twins said in unison.

"Nightmare?"

"No."

"Guts?"

"No."

"Pyramid Head?"

"No." But that time only Melanie said that.

"Only one a ya said that."

"Ok...I know who that is," Miltia said, rubbing her arm and blushing, "I-i read the book a long time ago ok?"

"What book has a character called Pyramid Head?" her sister asked.

"S-silent Hill..."

"Wait...the horror novel? When did you read that?!"

"A-a few years ago. I-i was curious!"

"So you read Silent Hill?!"

"So...we gunna fight now or are you two gunna keep havin' a family talk?" the Legion captain interrupted, impatience clearly showing in his voice.

The two sisters turned to him and took combat stances.

"Fight," they said in unison.

"Right then!" the captain readied himself, only for Junior to show up out of nowhere and blasted him with a rocket.

"Oh bugger ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!" the captain impacted a wall, leaving an impression. He slowly freed himself from the stone and shook off the blast. "Ok mate...that was NOT cool!"

"Just shut up and fight already!" Junior shouted at the captain.

"Three on one eh? Lemme even the odds!" the captain grinned under his helmet as two runes appeared next to him on both sides. Through the runes, stepped two exact copies of the captain, down to the accent. "Right then mates! Let's get 'em!"

"You got it boss!" the copies said in unison. With that, the three captains rushed Melanie, Miltia and Junior. Each captain made sure to isolate their opponent from the others so they wouldn't be outnumbered.

Junior and his opposing copy were engaged in a duel with the massive blade of the captain and Junior's bat colliding several times. Sparks flew each time the two weapons clashed with each other. Junior then took a swing at the copy's legs but it jumped over the swing and kick Junior in the face.

"Got ya!" the copy pumped his fist in the air before realizing Junior's bat had turned into a rocket launcher. "Or...not...how did I forget that?" A cluster of rockets shot out the copy who tried to either dodge or slice the rockets apart but several managed to hit and sent him flying. Junior then rushed the dazed captain and unleashed a flurry of strikes with his bat. On the second to last strike, he could hear a bone break, probably a rib and on the last strike, the captain was sent flying through a glass pillar.

"Oh me achin'...," the captain began but was cut off as Junior brought his bat down on the captain's head.

Melanie's fight was going just as well as Junior's. She landed several successful attacks against the captain's copy. With each kick she landed, a new bloody mark appeared on the body of the clone. In truth, Melanie was surprised this thing was bleeding. She'd seen Semblances like that when she watched the Vytal Tournament with Miltia in the VIP lounge when they were on break. Those clones didn't bleed though while these did for some reason. She directed a kick to his face but the copy grabbed her leg and threw her to the ground. The captain thrust his blade down to try and impale her but she managed to divert the sword with another kick. The captain staggered back for a minute as Melanie got back on her feet and delivered another powerful kick to his face. His visor cracked from the impact but he only seemed to get angrier. He grabbed Melanie's leg again and threatened to cut it off. She quickly spun herself free of his grasp, kicked his sword out of his hand, and stabbed him with it. Once she did, black smoke began to rise off of and engulf the body of the copy. Once the smoke cleared, a creature resembling a mannequin stood before her before it fell limply onto the floor.

"What...in the name of DUST is this thing?!" Melanie shouted.

Junior noticed that the body of the copy he had been fighting was replaced with a living mannequin as well. Melanie's question would have to wait though as a thought struck her. If Junior didn't fight the REAL captain and if she didn't just IMPALE the real captain then…

"Oh no…" the girl in white muttered under her breath.

When the fights broke out, the real Legion captain had charged at Miltia with all his strength. First he landed a solid punch to her stomach which caused to real back for a second. She quickly recovered and unleashed a flurry of strikes at him with her claws. The captain easily managed to parry, block, or dodge every single strike.

"Nice style ya got dere girl," the captain taunted, "but if you t'ink dat'll 'elp ya...you're dead WRONG."

Miltia tried to strike at his legs with her next strike but he simply jumped over entirely and round-house kicked her in the back. She managed to stop herself and once more continue her attack; all of it though was pointless. She tried to thrust both of her claws into the captain's chest but he retaliated by swinging his massive blade in front of him and sliced all four blades of Miltia's claws in half.

"M-my claws!" Miltia shouted in a combination of shock and horror, "b-but…"

"Here's da thing luv, they mighta been able ta tank shots from da boyz...but there ain't no WAY they'd stand up to my blade!" the captain smirked as he quickly grabbed Miltia by the head and began to beat on her mercilessly. He repeatedly punched her in the stomach and then threw her to the ground where he then stepped on her back to keep her still.

"Now...ya see luv...you REALLY shouldn'ta gotten involved. Cuz now...well...now I gotta kill ya!"

Miltia could only look up helplessly as the Legion Captain thrust his sword down but he aimed for her arm. The massive blade went straight through Miltia's right arm, crimson blood already starting to gush out of the wound.

"But first," the captain taunted, "I'mma make ya SUFFA!"

He began to put more pressure on the blade, as if he were preparing to cut it clean off. Miltia could only scream in pain as the captain had a sadistic smile plastered on his face beneath the expressionless black helmet.

"Miltia!" Melanie shouted as she, Junior, and Blake rushed to aid her.

"Oh look! An audience! Good!" the captain beamed.

"Let. Go. Of. My. SISTER!"

"Oh sure! I'll let 'er go...once I give her da new trend that seems to be a thing among young 'untresses."

Blake's eyes widened. This brute knew about what happened at Beacon. He knew what happened to Yang and he was using it to torment others, like it was just some sick joke to him.

"Ooooooh, struck a nerve did I? EXACTLY AS I INTENDED!" the captain roared with sadistic glee.

Blake balled her hand into a fist as the anger inside her started to build.

"Ya know...not gunna lie...I wish I 'ad been the one ta do it! Ta cut off Blondie's arm like dat! Woulda kept da arm doe...as a trophy! Gotta take da joys when ya can right? Now den...let's give her one last SLICE!"

"NO!" Melanie shouted as a shot rang out. The captain froze for a moment and realized his armor had been breached. Blake had fired Gambol Shroud right into the captain's lung.

"Y-you...you shot me...you damn...dirty...bitch…" the captain spat as blood began to drip from the bullet wound.

"No one talks about her like that…" Blake muttered to herself.

The captain slowly staggered back and began to rant. "Y-you think you've won?! This ain't ova! Not by a long shot! Da boss is gonna rip ya apart! And since...ya know...I'm gunna be dead soon...might as well...send my regards to your blonde ex on Patch ya dirty mongrel!"

Blake fired four more rounds into the captain's skull, his head jerking back with every bullet that hit. Blood spurted out the back of the domed helmet that the captain wore before he fell over and the blood pooled under him.

Melanie quickly rushed over to her sister and tried her best to remove the sword from her arm. Every time she tried though, Miltia just screamed in pain. Blake sheathed Gambol Shroud and walked up to Melanie.

"Ok...Miltia right? I'm going to pull the blade out of you ok?" Blake spoke in an almost whisper to try and calm Miltia.

"How are you going to take it out?! Every time I touch it, she screams!" Melanie interjected.

"Because you're not doing it fast enough. The quicker you do this...the less pain she'll be in."

Blake grabbed the hilt of the sword and nodded. "On three. One...two...THREE!" Blake quickly pulled the blade out of Miltia's arm as Miltia shrieked in pain. The ninja tossed the massive blade to the side.

"Make sure that gets treated properly. You might need to go to the hunter's base for the proper medical supplies."

Melanie nodded in thanks and ripped her dress to use as makeshift bandages. Afterwards, Junior walked up to Blake ready to thank her and give her the info she's asked for.

"Junior...I changed my mind," Blake said suddenly.

"About what?" Junior asked.

"What I want to know."

"So...you DON'T want to know about the Fourth Legion and all?"

"Not now. But you WILL give that information to Glynda Goodwitch and the other huntsmen."

"So...if you don't want that...what DO you want?"

"I want to know...where on Patch...Yang Xiao Long lives."

 **(A/N: And thus Blake's coming back to Yang! Let the flame of Bumblebee be rekindled! Ah yes, Dark Souls comparisons aside, next chapter will be a Yang focused chapter and after that will be Belail's debut in combat. Nobody kill me for what I'm about to do to team FNKI. Oh and for those wondering what the mannequins are supposed to be, those are my versions of Mimics. Next chapter will be a Yang focused one. As always, read, review and enjoy.)  
**


	14. Chapter 14: Rekindled Flame

_A loud crash echoed through the night air at Beacon, clearly heard even above the howls and roars of Grimm, the volleys of gunfire, and the screams of civilians. Yang knew that it came from the courtyard, judging by how loud it was. She guessed that's where Weiss was and if she was lucky, she would find the others. She quickly finished off the Beowulf she was currently fighting by punching its skull into the ground with a powerful downward swing. Once the Grimm started to vanish in smoke, she raced towards the courtyard._

 _Once she arrived, she saw at least three wrecks of Atlesian Paladins and a few dozen piles of scrap that were once Atlesian Knights. One of the Paladin wrecks seemed to have just keeled over since there were no scratches or burn marks on it. Yang made a small internal joke that it had powered down mid-sprint. At the far end of the battlefield stood several students that attended the Vytal Festival. Sun, Neptune, Sage, Scarlet, all of team ABRN, Nora, Ren, Flynt Coal, and Neon Katt, just to name a few. But most importantly, she was right on guessing her icy teammate was there. The heiress was keeled over, exhausted, and using Mryternaster to support herself._

" _Weiss!" the blonde brawler shouted as she raced towards the heiress, "You're okay! Have you heard from Ruby?"_

 _Weiss could only shake her head in response._

" _What about Blake?"_

" _She went after an Alpha," the Ice Queen began and pointed in the direction Blake had gone, "and some members of the White Fang."_

" _You look for Ruby. I'll meet up with Blake!" the brawler yells as she races off to find her partner. Weiss could only give a thumbs up in response._

 _As Yang raced on, she found resistance in the form of several of White Fang goons. "Outta my way!" the brawler shouted as she clothes-lined two of the Fang and tossed them into a wall, cracking it. She threw several punches at the rest of them and knocked them all out eventually. With that, she continued on._

 _Yang soon reached the cafeteria of Beacon, which was ruined with fires raging around it._

" _Blake!" the blonde called out before she punched another White Fang grunt who thought it was a good idea to rush her with a sword. "Blake! Where are you?!" The young huntress soon hears a familiar voice scream in pain and she turns to its source. She sees Blake, lying on her back as a sword is withdrawn from near her left hip. Yang couldn't tell if the blood was stained red with her friend's blood or if it was naturally red but she didn't care. Her rage built up as she met the gaze of the monster that had stabbed Blake. It was a member of the Fang, a bull Faunus dressed in a black trench coat and wearing a special version of the Grimm masks the grunts wore. He smirked sadistically at Yang as he wiped the blood of his blade._

" _GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang roared and rushed forward at the monster in human form. If Yang could see his eyes, they probably rolled at her "human arrogance". The Faunus swung his red blade and a single motion, Yang felt her Aura break, she lost all feeling in her right arm, and then she fell on the cold hard stone floor. She was still conscious as she turned to see the wound the attack had left. A stream of crimson flowed out of her severed arm and began pooling on the ground. She had just enough strength to roll herself onto her back, staring up at the roof._

" _Idiot," the White Fang leader spat as he drew closer to Yang, blade in hand._

" _It's just how she is...Adam," came the voice of Blake. Yang's eyes widened in shock as she saw her partner standing right there, next to this monster. In her hand, she was holding a punctured blood-pack. The blood on Adam's sword WAS real blood, just not Blake's. "You know...you actually almost stabbed me there," the cat Faunus added._

" _Well...I had to make it convincing enough…," Adam began as he firmly pinned Yang's other-and now only- arm with his foot, "now didn't I?"_

" _W-what?" Yang muttered, "B-blake...I thought...I thought you weren't WITH the Fang anymore…"_

" _Oh Yang...you never were the brightest member of our 'team'. It was a ruse. Adam LET me leave. It was a little secret plan me and him came up with. I infiltrate Beacon under the pretense of being a 'reformed member of the White Fang,'" the ninja interrupted herself as she started giggling. "I'm sorry...oh that's too funny."_

" _B-but...we trusted you! You're our FRIEND! You're MY FRIEND!"_

" _No...Yang...I never was. It was all...just...a ploy. Like Adam said...this...is OUR day."_

 _Adam then reaches into his coat pocket and withdrew another Grimm mask, almost identical to his own but with black/purple markings instead of red. Blake took it from him and placed it on her face as her lips spread into a grin. "Thanks for holding on to that for me," Blake said before she kissed Adam's cheek._

 _Yang's eyes widened in shock and horror as Adam returned the kiss but his lips were firmly pressed to Blake's. The blonde felt a mix of disgust and heartbreak as she could do nothing except watch. Tears began to well up in the blonde's eyes._

" _Would you like to do the honors….my darling?" Adam asked his partner._

" _Of course I would," the cat Faunus cooed as she drew Gambol Shroud. The blade was maneuvered above Yang's heart. Blake cut an "x" shape to show where she'd stab._

" _Goodbye...Xiao Long," Blake smiled sadistically as she thrust her sword down into Yang's heart._

Yang suddenly awoke and jolted straight up. She was panting in fear and awoke in a cold sweat. The blonde looked around and saw that she was still in her humble home in Patch. It was at least mid-day given the sun shining so brightly. The blonde had thought it would be better if she slept in today. Clearly, that idea wasn't the best. She wiped some of the sweat off her brow and calmed down.

"Just...just a dream...it was just a dream…," Yang mumbled to herself as she leaned back in bed. She rubbed her temples as she heard a knock at her door. No doubt it was her father.

"Sweety?" Taiyang called, "you awake?"

"Yeah…," the blonde responded in her now usual disinterested tone.

"Can I come in?"

"Just...give me a minute...ok Dad? I need...I need to clear my head."

"Why not come out then? Go outside? That always helps."

"No. I...I just a minute here...ok?"

"Ok. If...you want to talk...you just need to ask."

"I know Dad...I know." The blonde could hear her father walk away. Once he left, she sighed. She looked at the bandaged stump that was once her right arm. She felt guilt, regret, and failure. She believed it was because of her own arrogance that she lost her arm to that terrorist. She also knew what that terrible nightmare was about. She knew it was her own feeling of betrayal given form. Even though she woke up, she still felt like she was having a nightmare.

A few hours later, there was a knock on the front door of the Rose-Xiao Long house. Tai was getting ready to fix dinner for himself and Yang but stopped to see who it was, especially this late. He walked up to the oak door and opened revealing General James Ironwood of the Atlesian Military holding a large white briefcase in his right hand.

"General? Shouldn't you be in Atlas?" Taiyang inquired.

"If you're referring to the nightmare of political turmoil that's going on over there, I'm quite sure that Specialist Schnee can handle things while I'm here," Ironwood stated firmly.

Meanwhile in Atlas, Winter's desk is currently cluttered with files and reports on the political relationships with Vacuo and Mistral, with new ones coming in every fifteen minutes. Winter was currently filling out one of the hundreds on her desk. In fact, it looked like she had been pulling this job for nights on end.

Back in Patch, the general continued to converse with Tai.

"Also..please, just James will work."

"Right. Sorry. Thought you'd appreciate the formality though," Tai joked. "But...I'm guessing you're not here for a friendly visit are you?"

"I need to speak with Miss Xiao Long."

"What? Yang? Why would you need to talk with her?"

"To right a wrong from four months ago."

Yang was still in her bed when she heard the door to her room open.

"Dad?" the blonde asked as Tai stepped through the doorway, followed by Ironwood. "G-general Ironwood?"

"Hello Miss Xiao Long," the general greeted.

"I thought you were still needed in Atlas."

"As I told your father, Specialist Schnee can handle things while I'm away."

"So...why are you here?"

"Firstly...I would like to personally apologize for what happened in the Vytal Festival. After several pieces of evidence were provided to us, it became clear that you were framed that day."

"And yet...you only said I was having 'stress induced hallucinations.'"

"But...I wasn't wrong it seems. You DID hallucinate...but not because of stress. It is now believed by myself and several analysts that you were the victim of an illusory Semblance. "

"What?" both Tai and Yang said in unison.

"We've done research on two of the members of Mister Black's team, those being himself and Emerald Sustrai. The other two...it's as if they don't exist. Emerald Sustrai is the culprit of creating the hallucination you saw. A girl matching her description has been connected to a spree of petty thefts where the item was stolen in the presence of the owner. Witnesses claimed that the owner was under the impression someone was buying it from them and then another customer reported that it had been stolen. As for Mercury...I thought the name sounded familiar but couldn't place it. Once I did the research...I found him...or rather...his father. Marcus Black. The man was an infamous assassin that was responsible for over 50 assassination plots. He's been hired to kill everyone from politicians to civil rights leaders to crime lords. Twenty years ago...he was officially presumed dead."

"And yet four months ago...I fought his son and supposedly broke his leg in an unprovoked attacked," Yang added.

"Exactly. Once the CCT systems is repaired, I fully intend to clear your name by releasing this information to the public."

"You'd...really do that?"

"Of course."

"But...I have the feeling this isn't the only thing you came here for. Just drop by, say 'I'm sorry for wrongfully arresting you' and leave; there's gotta be more."

"Yes. With Tai's permission...I need your help."

"My help?"

"Her help? Tai asked.

"Yes. Your help, Miss Xiao Long. People don't trust Atlas right now. Vacuo isn't sure what to think while most of Mistral, from what my reports have said, well...diplomatic relations with them are strained. I need someone from Beacon to help fix this broken trust. Someone who was there at Beacon, someone who knows for a fact that the Paladins and Knights of the Atlesian army went rampant."

"So you plan on turning my daughter into the face of a propaganda campaign for Atlas?" Tai interjected, anger slowly building in his voice.

"No, nothing of the sort. Right now, Grimm activity is on a dangerous rise. This week alone, three small villages were completely destroyed in Atlas. If the kingdoms are not reunited against the mastermind of the attack during the Vytal Festival and the Grimm...then humanity is doomed."

"James, look," Tai began, "I'm already worried sick about one of my girls who is currently out there looking for the exact same thing you are. The last thing I need on my mind is-," he was cut off when he heard another knock at the door.

"Did...you bring someone with you?"

"No. No one except for Specialist Schnee knows exactly where I am. Everyone else was told I was on an away mission. Not my exact my location."

"Maybe it's...just someone else. Let's not get paranoid here."

James nodded and motioned for him to go answer the door. When he opened it, he saw a man wearing a winter coat with a fur lined collar standing in front of the door, mumbling to himself.

"Good Argent, is it always this cold out here?" he muttered before he realized Tai had opened the door. "Ah! Mr. Xiao Long. Apologies for that little mumbling of mine, I haven't been to Patch before," the man said with a surprisingly warm smile.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Vitallion. Doctor Vitallion Greene. I happen to be one of Mistral's best prosthetic producers. After all I do work at a company for such things. Now...I heard from a hunter of Haven Academy that during the DREADFUL events of the 'Battle of Beacon' that you're daughter was left SEVERELY handicapped by a monstrous member of the White Fang-for which you have my deepest condolences sir. BUT! I am willing and able to ease her pain."

"I...don't think that will be necessary Doctor."

"Why? Has someone else offered? I can assure you, I can top whatever offer they've presented you with! Model, make, cost, whatever the issue is, I PROMISE you that I can make a better deal."

"What about the best military equipment on Remnant?" the general said as he walked behind Tai.

The good doctor's eyes seemed to widen in surprise. "G-general Ironwood! What an unexpected surprise! I was unaware that YOU were the one offering the prosthetic to poor little Yang."

"Tell me...what company are you from...Doctor Greene?"

"What company? Why Charon Industries of course! Medical division of course."

"Really? Charon Industries? Last time I checked...Charon Industries was a military vehicle manufacturer."

"O-oh? It...it is? I-I mean of course it is! How foolish of me to forget!"

"And if you're here on official Charon Industries business...why aren't you wearing their emblem on your jacket? They always have their personal insignia emblazoned on them. "

"Oh...oh...I...I...ohhhhhhhh you know what...screw it. I might as well drop...the...ACT!" the doctor roared as he grabbed both Tai and Ironwood and tossed them out of the house. "Thank you for the tips, General. I know how to make my disguise more convincing for the next performance."

Tai and Ironwood managed to land on their feet and get into combat stances. The General drew his revolver and Tai activated his own gauntlets, Sancti Ignis. The gauntlets resembled Ember Celica in terms of design but they were red instead of yellow.

Yang was peering out of the window to watch was going on. She had heard her father and the general being thrown.

"Hmmm...a brawler much like his daughter and a primarily long ranged fighter. Hmph. Well...Yang doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Killing the father's certainly going to add weight to the message and killing the general of the Atlesian armed forces...well...that'll just be a bonus. So I don't see why we can't drag this out," the fake doctor mumbled to himself, rubbing his chin as he spoke.

"You're really going to fight us both on your own?" Tai asked.

"Do you take me for an amateur? I'm not alone here Xiao Long! I never got to introduce my supporting cast!"

"Supporting cast? Why are you talking like that?"

"What? All the terminology? Oh it's a hobby. I like making theatrical productions on the side. Ironic given what I am."

"You talk like you're-"

"Not a human? Yes! But I'm not one a Faunus either. But more on that later! Time for the supporting cast introduction!"

A rifle shot is heard as a bullet impacts right in front of Tai and Ironwood. Shortly after, the revving of a chainsaw could be heard.

"Hehehe...finally...I get to kill the General," a man wearing the garb of the White Fang walks forth, wearing a full Grimm-facemask and wielding a weaponized chainsaw.

"The second in command of the White Fang…" the General stated coldly.

"Remember what you promised me...Vitallion...I get to kill the bimbo in there," another voice added. Said voice belonged to the ruthless leader of the White Fang, the monster that had haunted Yang's nightmares: Adam Taurus. When the blonde saw the bull-Faunus, she froze.

"He's...he's here?! No...no no no no...why is he here...why is he here...why is HE here?!"

"Yes, yes, Adam. You'll have her head...as long as it'll shut you up for a while about your ex," Vitallion deadpanned.

"Like you'd understand," Adam retorted.

'Oh no, I understand. It's hard NOT to when you talk about her every hour of every day and at every damn MEETING! 'Oh Blake this! Oh Blake that! Let me make her suffer more my lord by devoting all of our VALUABLE RESOURCES to hunting her down!'

"...You're lucky we're on the same side Admiral...otherwise...I would slit your throat right now."

"Oh you may try. I'd have your own men take the attack until I can only use your Lieutenant over there as a shield."

"Do...I even get a say in this?" the lieutenant added.

"No. No you do not," Vitallion said with a smile, "Now then! Back to the matter at hand! Murdering an entire family and General Ironwood!"

Vitallion summoned his own weapon, a pair of single headed Liuxing Chui,better known as meteor hammers. The weapons themselves were made of a cold black metal, the chains wrapped around his entire forearm, and the heads of the weapons glowed red.

"Taurus...you and your lapdog will get the JOY of killing Ironwood..leave the father to me."

Taurus and his lieutenant and rushed towards the general of Atlas, swords at the ready. Ironwood stood his ground as the two as the two Faunus made a mad dash towards him. The first to attack him was the lieutenant, swinging his chainsaw down on the general but a single shot from the general's revolver knocked the strike back. Adam used the opportunity to swing Wilt at Ironwood's side. The red blade was blocked by Ironwood's right cybernetic arm.

"It'll be a pleasure to kill you," Adam taunted as he tried to break through the General's defense, "You're as much a symbol of oppression as the Schnees are. WIth you gone...we're one step closer to victory."

"If you're looking to take down symbols of oppression...you might want to take a look at YOURSELF!" James roared as he punched the bull-Faunus with his free hand and sent the terrorist flying. Adam used Wilt to slow himself and continue the attack. He sheathed the red chokutō and opened fire with Blush. The General dodged each of the shots of the rifle and retaliated with shots of his own. The Lieutenant tried to attack James with his chainsaw again but due to the size of the weapon, the strikes were too slow and easily dodged by Atlas Academy's headmaster. James then threw a punch to the chainsaw-wielding lieutenant which send the Faunus flying. Adam saw that and growled. He unsheathed Wilt and rushed at the General, continuing their fight.

Meanwhile, Vitallion was twirling one of his weapons as he and Tai circled each other.

"So if you're not human...and you're not Faunus...what...ARE you?" Tai demanded.

"Oh? Me? Well every world has stories about us! Lots of different names as well. Some call us djinn, others oni, but we prefer...DEMONS!" the Admiral roared as the chain of his weapon extended and he swiftly swung the metal ball down on Tai. The huntsman quickly rolled out of the way but then the demon Admiral spun the second ball of the weapon around him to try and hit Tai as the first ball-and-chain retracted. Tai kick the ball in the opposite direction to try and entangle the Admiral. The demon knew this trick all too well and adjusted his return swing as it returned to his hand.

"Nice try, Xiao Long but you're not the first actor to try that trick on me!" the Admiral taunted as he swung both of the metals orbs down on Tai. The huntsman blasted both of them with blasts of fire that stopped them and made them fall into the dirt with loud thuds. The Admiral for some reason smirked at this.

"What are you smirking at?" Tai asked.

"Oh...you know...just THIS!" the Admiral shouted as flames engulfed his hands. He then sends flame down the chains of the meteor hammer and into the orbs. The orbs transformed into fireballs and the ground began to shake. The ground beneath Tai began to heat up before a giant pillar of fire erupted from beneath the ground, seemingly engulfing the huntsman.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhh how I LOVE the pyrotechnics!" the Admiral chuckled as he saw the fire rage in front of him.

"DAD!" Yang shouted. Somehow Vitallion heard her and turned his head to look at her. The glare he gave her and the smile that spread across his face were full of murderous intent and sadistic glee.

"Don't worry...little dragon...you'll be joining dear old dad in the ground soon enough," the admiral smirked before he received a punch to jaw.

"You really thought I wouldn't see that coming?" Tai asked.

"In truth...might NOT have been my smartest strategy," the Admiral admitted, "but I doubt you'll be able to dodge THIS!" Vitallion's weapons begin to glow once he removes them from the ground. He begins spinning them in the air above his head as he forms a fire-twister that he then directs towards Tai. Tai dodges and shoots blasts of fire Dust at the demon but he blocks them by spinning his weapon. Tai continued to fire on the demon Admiral but Vitallion's defense held strong. Vitallion then slammed both of the metal orbs into the ground, causing several geysers of flame to erupt all around. Tai easily dodged them and blasted Vitallion between movements. When the last pillar erupted right in front of Tai, the huntsman shot five blasts right through it. When the pillar died down however, the Admiral was gone.

"How the hell…" Tai began but was interrupted as one of Vitallion's meteor hammers wrapped around him. Vitallion somehow managed to teleport on top of the roof of the house behind Tai as he dropped down from above.

"Hooooooooooowwwwww tragic...the daughter gets to watch the father die. It's like I'm writing the plot for a REVENGE story here!" the Admiral taunted as he readied his second weapon, spikes extending from the head of the weapon. Before he could strike though he froze as he heard something approaching.

The Admiral turned to look behind and then turned back to Tai.

"Um...you hear that too right? That sound? Trying to make sure I'm not going insane here…"

"Yeah...I hear it," Tai responded, just as confused as Vitallion.

Yang could hear the rumbling as well and instantly recognized it as the roar of an engine. A motorcycle engine.

"Wait...that can't be…," Yang began, "Bumblebee?" Yang's motorcycle had been left at Beacon when it fell to the Grimm but that roaring engine was unmistakable.

Tai had drawn the same conclusion, confusing Vitallion.

"Bumblebee? What in the name of Argent does a tiny little stinging bug have to do with any-" the Admiral was cut off as the motorcycle smashed into Vitallion, sending the demon into the wall of the house behind as shouted. The chains of his meteor hammer went slack around Tai and he was able to free himself from them.

"Thanks," he told the driver of Yang's motorcycle. The woman who was riding the motorbike nodded, her helmet still covering her head and the visor was down.

"Ooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaay, well THIS is a plot twist! Suddenly a knight just rides in on iron steed! Not the way I'd write it..," Vitallion complains as he dusts himself off, "Honestly I'd say that no one came to save the valiant huntsmen from impending doom and maybe let the daughter go to hatch her revenge scheme."

"Shut up," both the driver and Tai said in unison.

"What?" the lieutenant asked. "How did she get here? I thought the listening post would've warned us!"

"Well clearly, lieutenant, it must have been destroyed! Or all our men were just killed. Either or. However...as it stands...we must report this to our lord."

"WHAT?!" Adam roared as he kicked the General in the stomach, "We're RETREATING?!"

"We've lost the advantage. In truth I had hoped we would end this much quicker but it seems that the script has been revised...to my dismay."

"But there are ONLY THREE OF THEM!"

"Clearly you don't know the value of shock-tactics. We once had the advantage of an unknown assailant. We had intimidation, surprise, but now we no longer have that. Consider this...the end of the prologue Mr. Taurus! The end...of the beginning. Now, Ironwood, Xiao-Long, Mystery Girl, we'll leave you to...whatever you're going to do but know this...this is just getting started! Exit, stage right!"

The Admiral summoned a rune behind himself and his two companions that all three of them jumped through. Once all three were through, the rune vanished.

"So...that just happened," Tai stated bluntly.

"A glyph...he must have a similar Semblance to the Schnees," Ironwood added.

"I think that Vitallion guy was a little...unhinged...called himself a demon."

"It's true," the driver of Bumblebee interjected.

"You believe him?"

"If I didn't see a small army of them back in Vale...I would've called him crazy as well."

"And...if you don't mind me asking...who exactly ARE you?"

The girl took off her helmet revealing a young black-haired girl with a matching bow atop her head. Her amber eyes were unmistakable.

"Blake. Blake Belladonna."

"I remember you. You were another member of team RWBY. How did you know about this?"

"Easy...I took out a listening post in Vale run by the White Fang and some new military faction calling themselves the Fourth Legion. Those are the demons I ran into."

"Blake…," Yang joined in the conversation, standing in the open doorframe.

"Yang…," the Faunus said as she walked past Ironwood and Tai. She now stood in front of her partner and was ready to speak...only for Yang to slap her in the face.

"That was for leaving when we-when I- needed you most! Where the HELL did you even GO during the past four months?! And why was there not even a NOTE?! RUBY even knew to leave a note!"

"Wait what?! Ruby's gone?!"

"Don't change the subject Belladonna! You KNEW I would be hurt from this and yet you just up and LEFT! WHY?!"

"BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY I COULD THINK OF TO PROTECT YOU FROM ADAM!"

Yang froze for a moment. "W-what?"

"You didn't HEAR...what he said that night. He said he would make it his MISSION to destroy everything I...care about…," the Faunus had stopped herself from saying "love". "And when Adam makes a commitment like that...he will NEVER let it go. He's a relentless monster with no regard for human life. And if a Faunus tries to defend a human...he'll simply mark them a traitor and kill them too. I thought the only way to protect you...would be running. If he saw...that...I didn't care...well...then...he wouldn't hurt you. Because if he did...if he came here and hurt you more...I already can't forgive myself for being the reason your career as a huntress took such a hit...if you DIED because me..."

"Blake, I…"

"You had every right to be mad at me Yang...but...now...even IF I had run as far away as Vacuo...he still would've come for you."

Suddenly, Yang grabbed Blake and pulled her into one of her infamous hugs.

"W-what's...this for?"

"This is for coming back, Blakey," Yang said as tears of joy filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

The next day, as the sun rose over Patch, the door to the Rose-Xiao Long house opened. First to cross the threshold outside was Blake, with a backpack full of supplies for the journey ahead. Following the Faunus was Yang Xiao-Long, wearing her normal combat attire with a new right cybernetic arm that she had spent hours painting yellow and black.

"Alright...Yang Xiao Long is back in the game!" the blonde proudly shouted to the world.

 **(And there you have it! Yang is back in the game! Some might say it's a bit too quick to have her back in a single chapter, remember, this is four months later so, she's been out of the game long enough I say. Once again, I bring a Chinese weapon into the hands of the demons, a Meteor Hammer and I give the Admiral of the demon forces an entire hobby of making theatrical productions. Given he's a demon though...they're not normal. Anyway, next week, we'll get Belail's debut in combat against Neon Katt and Flynt Coal and team RNJR's battle against the Hydra on the water. As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


	15. Chapter 15: Lord of Lies

A storm had rolled in over the skies of Atlas. Lightning lit up the sky with each natural flash. Under these kinds of circumstances, no one would be crazy enough to fly in that kind of weather. No one human anyway. But the pilots of the one shuttle that was entering Atlesian airspace were anything but human. One of the pilots pressed a red button on the control panel before him, activating the intercom.

"My lord, we've entered Atlas," the pilot stated.

"Excellent," came the voice of the most important passenger aboard the ship, "Now, locate the nearest outpost."

"Yes my lord. Beginning geo-scan."

In the back of the ship, Belail noded and closed his eyes as he awaits for his ship to arrive and drop him off. By no means was the demon lord preparing to sleep before he arrived at his destination, he was merely preparing himself for the first bloodbath he would actively partake in ever since he arrived on Remnant(the single or double homicides he conducted to sate his bloodlust didn't count). And that was 60 years ago; 20 years late of the Great War. The fact that he had missed a major war was actually quite the disappointment to the warlord but it didn't had a simple solution. If he couldn't manipulate an ongoing war, he'd just start a new one. So far, everything had gone according to plan, well, almost everything.

He remembered that day vividly. It had been only been about a month and a half since Beacon had fallen to the Grimm and the Kingdoms' trust in each other had been shattered. Under normal circumstances, he'd have been immensely pleased but to him...the mission seemed to be a failure. It all started during the singles round of the Vytal Festival. The demon lord had watched happily as he saw all the events his protege, Cinder Fall, had informed him of. First he saw the fall of the blonde brawler named Yang Xiao Long. He was informed that Emerald was to cause her to see Mercury attacking her, seemingly unprovoked. In reality, Mercury would be calmly walking up to her to congratulate her on her win. What a fool that girl was. The next event he found most entertaining due to the simple fact that it was a dismemberment. It was the four-time champion of the Mistral Regional Combat tournament, Pyrrha Nikos, against an Atlesian specialist, Penny Polendina. Cinder had told him to wait for a special surprise during this match and the Fall Maiden had delivered. The reveal of Polendina's true origins as a machine, the attack on Beacon with the White Fang and the Grimm, and even hacking the Atlesian mechanical soldiers. Belail had thought that a stroke of genius. However his amusement turned to concern when the the Dragon burst from Mountain Glenn. How had he missed it? How had he missed it when it was right under his nose? He found the other three locations but never the fourth and somehow, Cinder managed to accomplish what he had not. He wasn't sure how to feel about that at first, pride and disappointment mixing in his mind but he had more immediate concerns. Concerns, that would come to life.

But Belail's little flashback was interrupted when the pilot spoke over the intercom again.

"My lord, we've completed the geo-scan. There's a forward operations/medical base 40 miles to the west. We've reconfigured our flight path which will bring us right to their front door."

"Perfect," the demon lord responded as he rose from his seat. He walked over to supply rack opposite of him and grabbed a black hooded cloak that he placed over his armor **(A/N: Imagine him wearing a technologically advanced version of Skyrim's Daedric Armor)**.

At least two hours pass and Belail's ship is silently hovering just outside the perimeter of the base.

"How many?" the demon lord said, standing before the landing ramp of the shuttle.

"200 staff in total my lord. 119 military personnel and 81 medical," the pilot responded.

"Only 200? Not even a proper massacre. Considering I need to leave one person alive to tell the tale when the Huntsmen get here, that's only 199 lives. It'll do for now I suppose. Besides...it'll only serve as a warm-up for the true challenge."

"Very well my lord. Opening landing ramp now."

The hydraulics hissed as the ramp opened up, allowing the torrent of rain-water to enter the ship. Belail pulled the hood of the cloak over his helmet and then jumped. He landed with a thud but due to the timing, the sound was covered with a boom of thunder. The demon looked up at the base and smiled under his helmet.

"This will be...entertaining...to say the least," the demon lord chuckled to himself as he approached the facility. If it weren't for the thunderous booms and the torrents of rain drowning them out, that night would've been filled with screams of terror and fruitless, echoing gunshots.

The next day, in Atlas' capital city, two members of team FNKI were walking to General Ironwood's office. Well, one of them was walking while the other was skating.

"So what do you think it is, Flynt? Super secret spy mission to bust some White Fang goons? Grimm attack in a village where we have to go save the day? Raid one of the WF's safehouses?" Neon Katt spoke on in a tone so joyful only Nora's could probably match it.

"It could just be a supply run, Neon," the Faunus' more level-headed partner, Flynt responded.

"Awwww but that would be soooooo BOOOOOOORING!"

"You really need to remember it's not ALWAYS about killing monsters, Neon."

"I know but it's more fun when you do!"

Flynt just smiled. "Can't argue with that I suppose."

Soon, both of them arrived at the automatic door of Ironwood's office. It slid open to a desk filled with papers and Winter Schnee, rubbing her temples behind them.

"I don't...know...how he puts up with this...madness…," the older Schnee sister sighs.

"Specialist Schnee? What are you doing here?" Flynt asked, adjusting his hat.

"Oh...Flynt and Neon...sorry. I didn't hear you come in."

"That bad of a night?" Neon asked, tilting her head and taking note of how disheveled Winter looked.

"Try nights. I've taken the General's place until he returns from his away mission. I took this post five days ago and I haven't gotten a single minute's respite from all the political anarchy. I don't know how he can take this and I'm worried Weiss will break with how much WORSE it is in the company. But...enough about that...your mission."

Once that was mentioned, both members of team FNKI stood at attention and saluted Winter as she prepared to give the briefing.

"Last night, one of our field medical bases went dark. I had considered the fact it was a simple communication blackout due to the storm, however when I tried to contact them earlier today...no one answered."

"Possible White Fang attack?" Flynt asked his superior.

"The Fang does have the manpower and resources to take it but they haven't made a blip on our radar since Vale. I'm not sure if that's changing today or something else is going on."

"Grimm then?"

"I haven't ruled that possibility out but the Grimm activity in that region has been low. Only sparse packs of Beowolves and a flock of Griffons. Our soldiers would've been able to deal with them. So, in order to figure out what happened to the medical base...I'm sending you two and a full squad of men to investigate. If it's a Grimm attack or a White Fang raid, find any survivors and eliminate any threats. Understood?"

"Yes sir!" the two specialists said in unison.

"You two will be leaving within the hour. Dismissed."

With that, the two Specialists left the office and Winter continued to work on all of the papers.

"Well it's no big raid, but I still bet it's going to fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!" Neon exclaimed as they left the office.

"Heh. Come on, let's get ready."

Only thirty minutes passed since their briefing and already, Neon and Flynt were ready to go. Neon had her nunchucks attached to her belt with a hip.

"Hmmmmm...I'm...gonna go ahead and sayyyyyyyyy...Ursa. Ursas? Ursai? Whatever," Neo continued her current conversation with Flynt about what Grimm they'd face out there and how to deal with them in the flashiest way possible. Each of the two took turns naming a Grimm and then making a small plan to deal with them.

"It's Ursai," Flynt added in.

"Right. Ursai. So...I'm thinking you hit em with your soundwaves. Make 'em deaf for a while so they can't hear us and then I come in and use my ice Dust to freeze over their eyes and watch the hilarity ensue! Also if we run into a pack of three, I make no promises about making a 'Three Blind Ursai' joke."

Flynt chuckled a bit. Neon may not make the best jokes sometimes but she does have her moments.

"Your turn Flynt."

"Griffons. I'll knock 'em outta the sky with my trumpet, you freeze their wings and feet so they can't move, then we mix one of my soundwaves with your fire Dust and they'll be fried."

"Oooh nice! Ok let me think here…"

"You'll need to tell me later. We're here. Gunships 237 and 238. Accompanied by a full squad of 20."

"We splittin' up for the ride over?"

"Sadly yes. But if ya wanna talk we can always use the private local channels on our Scrolls."

"Then expect a call from me on the way over there. This trip is like...what? At least 200 miles south? And that's gonna take us like five hours so I am going to be BORED on that long of a trip."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't get bored."

"I know right?! It'd be like I was sick or something!"

"Except after the last time you got sick, the rest of us needed to make precautions in case you even got a FEVER."

"Hey! We agreed to never bring that up again!"

Flynt simply chuckled as he tipped his hat to the cat Faunus and walked toward the first Bullhead. Neon simply pouted for a moment before skating over to the second. Filing into the gunships were ten soldiers each, the majority baring the standard blue coloration while there was at least one red-colored officer among each group. Each one had more than enough room for the 11 passengers it needed to carry. The two pairs of green-clad pilots did a diagnostics check before radioing the tower.

"Tower, this is Gunship 237, requesting permission to launch," the first pilot of Neon's ship reported.

"Tower, this is Gunship 238, requesting permission to launch," the pilot in charge of Flynt's ship radioed in.

"Gunships 237 and 238," the flight officer radioed back, "this is Tower. You are clear for launch. I repeat, you are clear for launch."

"Roger that, Tower. Beginning launch," Neon's pilot said as he flipped the switch to start their engines and the main pilot of Flynt's ship did the same. The engines roared to life as the gunships began to lift themselves off the ground. The hangar doors slowly slid open and as soon the two massive metal doors were spread apart widely enough, the two dropships zoomed off to the field medical base.

The pilots had turned on the intercom early on the in flight that the trip would at least be five hours, possibly six if the weather decided to drastically took the time to practice his non-combative trumpet skills. It was definitely a morale booster for the men on board. After all, they basically had a private jazz concert in the ship until they arrived. As for Neon...well, she tried a number of different things to keep herself occupied. She tried to take a cat nap but a bit of turbulence interrupted that; she thought of striking up a conversation with one of the soldiers but decided against it due to the fact that she normally worked with a different squad; at one point she just tried waiting for it to end. Her cheek rested in her palm and her pink tail swayed as she let out a bored sigh. She finally decided she had enough of the boring and uneventful ride and decided to call Flynt. Unfortunately for Neon, she had forgotten to charge her Scroll the night before.

 _Oh for the LOVE of DUST!_ , the cat Faunus mentally screamed as she face palmed at her own forgetfulness. _Oooooooooooooooooooooof COURSE I'd forget to charge my Scroll when I need it! Does the universe WANT me to suffer the never-ending TORMENT of BOREDOM?! Does it?!_ The cat Faunus merely let out an exasperated sigh and her tail stopped swaying.

"This is going to be...a long...ride…," the Atlas Specialist said, defeated by her worst enemy: boredom.

Once the five hours had passed, the two gunships had reached the the outpost. Smoke rose from the metal structure.

 _That's not a good sign_ , Flynt mentally said, stating the obvious.

"Specialist Flynt, should I attempt to contact them?" the pilot spoke over the intercom.

"Yeah, you can try! Don't think you'll get an answer though!"

"This is Gunship 238 to Medical Base Sigma. Come in, Sigma," the co-pilot spoke into his radio only to receive static.

"I say again, this is Gunship 238 to Medical Base Sigma. Do you read me, Sigma?"

Again, the only answer was deafening static.

"Nothing sir. Comms must be more broken than we thought."

"All right...set us down in the clearing around the . Once we're in, you two keep a stable hover around the base. We might need a quick exit!"

"Understood sir. Beginning descent."

Shortly after the announcement was made, the ship recoiled from landing. The quick hiss of the hydraulics signaled the opening of the landing ramp. All the soldiers grabbed their gear which consisted of the standard Atlesian army kit:an Emas Arms or EA-90 assault rifle, a Goldarm-45 semi-auto pistol and a standard issue Atlesian CQC Collapsible Sword. Flynt followed the soldiers out and was soon met by the characteristic rainbow trail of Neon zooming right at him.

"OhmygodyouhavenoideahowBOREDIwasoverthere!" Neon shouted in a single breath.

"Then why didn't you call? Oh...wait...you forgot to charge your Scroll last night didn't you?" Flynt

"Yeah…"

"See, this is what happens when you're so invested in Remnant: The Game."

"It's a good game! I know you enjoyed it! Especially that one time where you were Vale and you DEMANDED me-as Atlas- to regulate the power of the SDC which would let you put your father back in business!"

"Yeah...hehe," Flynt rubbed the back of his neck, "I kinda...let the power go to my head."

"Don't worry. Remember after the doubles round, how I said I had something to do?"

"Yeah?"

"Well that was me apologizing to Yang and she said it was fine BUT she also challenged me to a game of Remnant. So I was Vacuo, Yang's little sister Ruby-who is just SO ADORABLE- was Atlas, Yang was Vale, and then we managed to rope in a fourth player."

"Lemme guess, Schnee?"

"Hehe, yeah. She was Mistral though."

"You'll have to tell me as we go. Come on." The Specialist tipped his hat and started walking after the soldiers and Neon skated next to him, continuing her story. Her story was one of riveting battles between the androids of Atlas, the guerilla Faunus soldiers of Vacuo, the marksmen of Mistral, and the militia-men of Vale. Yang had somehow managed to beat Weiss' snipers by activating a trap that destroyed their crow's nests. Neon's forces were able to completely destroy the forces of Atls by hacking into them, disabling the androids, and quickly defeated the normal soldiers using guerilla warfare. Ruby had said she didn't like this game of emotions they play when Weiss hugged her for support and told the crimson-cloaked girl to be strong. Neon then giggled a bit and was told by Yang that it was a total reversal of what happened last time. Now it was just Yang and Neon.

"Sorry Neon," Flynt said as they reached the medical complex, "gonna have to finish the story another time. We're here."

"Awwwww but I was getting to the good...part…," Neon trailed off when she saw the state of the facility. "Woah…"

The facility looks as though a war had been fought at it. Smoke rose into the sky from various fires. The large metal doors that served as the entrance were ripped off their hydraulic tracks with immense force. The soldiers turned on the tactical lights on their rifles and filed into the facility. The entire building was dark except for a few sparks from electrical wires and the dim glows of small fires spread throughout the facility. A pungent odor filled the noses of everyone present, a smell that was all too familiar to the soldiers present. The smell of death.

"Looks like a war in here," one the soldiers commented.

"Jeez...you think there's anyone still here?" Neon turned to her partner as the two walked into the ruined base.

"Dunno...we'll have to keep looking."

As Neon slowly skated deeper into the base, she felt some form of liquid drip on her head from above. She looked up for a moment and felt another drop fall on her cheek. She tried wiping it off and found her hand stained crimson. Her eyes widened for a moment as she reached her weapons. Neon always liked the idea of having her weapon being a powerful and quick one that was also a light source. She cracked her glowstick-nunchucks to produce a bright cyan light that shone above. What she saw stunned her. She wanted to scream but steeled herself as best she could.

"F-f-f-flynt?"

"Neon? You ok? You look like you've you seen a- OH WHAT THE HELL?!"

As Flynt followed Neon's gaze, the two huntsmen saw the corpse of an Atlesian soldier stuck to the ceiling due to four massive black daggers stabbed into his body. Two had impaled his legs, one had gone through his palm and the other went through his other hand and into his head. The soldier's mouth hang agape and blood slowly dripped out.

"This….this isn't White Fang. I mean...I KNOW they're brutal but they don't do THIS! And Grimm certainly don't use knives. C-captain!" Flynt called out.

"Yes, Specialist Flynt?" the red-clad officer called back.

"Have...have there been any reports of rogue huntsmen that use black daggers?"

The soldier brought up a database of all known rogue huntsmen and sifted through their weapons. There were glaives, arm-blades, and even a shield that transformed into a buzz-saw but no black daggers.

"No sir, nothing."

Flynt cursed under his breath and turned on his own flashlight. He shined the light next to the unfortunate soldier and found another body, this time pinned by a dagger through the mouth.

"Soldier, turn your lights up!"

The officer nodded and shone his light up as well. He found five more bodies pinned to the ceiling in a similar fashion.

"We need to keep moving," Flynt said sadly, "We're not leaving them here...but we can't get them down now. We need to keep going. Neon, you're with me. We'll take the west wing. You two," he pointed to the red clad officers who salute, "take the east wing."

"Yes sir!" the officers shouted as they took their half of the men to the east wing.

"Flynt...I think saying 'I have a bad feeling about this' is an understatement, yeah?" Neon said softly.

"Yeah...understatement of the century I think."

With that out of the way, Neon, Flynt, and their own men walked further into the dark base. Unbeknownst to them, the security cameras still worked and they were watching them split up. In the blood soaked security office, the Lord of Lies smirked as he pulled the hood of his cloak over his horned helmet and headed to the east wing.

The search had gone on for thirty minutes and Flynt and Neon's half of the team had reached the main medical bay.

"Alright. Fan out. See if anyone's here," Flynt called out to his men. The soldiers nodded and began to search the med-bay. Neon, understandably, wasn't her usual cheery self in this instance. She had seen soldiers killed by the White Fang and the Grimm but this...well the best words she could think of to describe it were "nightmare fuel". It wasn't just because of the five bodies in the main entrance either. On the way to the medical bay, they had found dozens of more bodies. Soldiers and doctors were slaughtered mercilessly in varied but equally ways. There was a female doctor who had her head removed in a single yet jagged motion (at least that's what their expert on the matter said), a male soldier that had his throat slit by three different weapons, given the wounds,they appeared to be claws, and a male doctor that had been ripped in two, among several others. Neon had seen Grimm attacks in her line of work. They attacked humanity because they saw them as a food source and they chose to attack and the White Fang had no reason to be here. There was no major strategic gain to be had. Sure, taking out a medical facility would be a huge blow if Atlas didn't have as many as they did. Whoever or whatever did this...no, she didn't want to think about that.

"Sirs! We found someone!" shouted a soldier which instantly made Neon a little happier. Someone had survived this massacre.

"Where are they?" the cat Faunus said as she skated over to the soldiers.

"In...here," the soldier motioned to a medical cryo-pod.

"Wait...they...FROZE themselves? That's a new one…"

"Well what are you waiting for soldier? Thaw them out!" Flynt added.

"Yes sir!" The soldier began to activate the thawing process on the pod. The layer of frost covering the glass soon faded and revealed the form within. It was a young woman with silver hair, fair skin, and clad in a normal doctor's coat. Her purple eyes fluttered open and they were filled with panic before she realized who was waking her up. The pod hissed as it opened, letting out two jets of steam. The woman stumbled out but she was caught by one of the soldiers.

"Easy ma'am. Easy," the soldier said as he supported her. That was when Neon took notice of a grey tail swaying behind the woman. She was a Faunus. Wolf by the looks of the tail.

"Ma'am? Ma'am, you're safe now. What's your name?" Neon asked softly.

"G-grey. Doctor Allison Grey," the woman responded.

"I'm Neon and the one in the hat over there is my partner Flynt. We're gonna get you out of here but we need to know...what happened here?"

"HE happened. Or...at least I THINK it's a he. More inclined to use 'it' here because...well...you've seen the carnage wrought in its wake…"

"Wait...what? One guy? ONE guy did all THIS?!" Flynt pointed to the carnage in the halls.

"I would hardly call him a 'guy'. If I hadn't heard it speak while in the cryopod...heard it revel in the bloodshed...I would've said it was a possession-type Grimm."

"I know...that you might want to forget what happened...but we need you to tell us everything from the night before," Neon politely asked.

Allison let out a sigh and nodded. "That...that powerful storm had been raging for hours. Everything seemed normal that night. I was in here, checking up on the functionality of the cryo-pods. In case there was ever a field casualty that we couldn't treat here and had to move to the hospitals in the main city."

 _*Last Night*_

 _Allison was making sure that the cryo-pods didn't have any form of rupture in the pipes or cracks in the glass._

 _At the front entrance, two of the eight guards were standing by and talking amongst themselves._

" _So you heard that RvB is getting a movie?" one of the yellow-armored soldiers asked his friend as he put his rifle on to one of the weapon racks._

" _Really? They starting with the Blood Gulch stuff or skip right into the Freelancer Saga?"_

" _The movie's gonna cover the whole thing of Project Freelancer. You know with the Insurrection."_

" _Oh yeah! That'll be fun to see."_

 _Before the conversation could continue, the metal doors were suddenly thrown off their hydraulic tracks, grabbing the attention of the five guards on duty at the entrance. Each of them quickly reached for their weapons and aimed at whatever was about to come through that door. A cloaked figure slowly walked through the entrance and paused once he was in the crosshairs of all five of them. If it wasn't for the hood and helmet underneath, a grin would be seen spreading across his face._

" _Are you just going to stand there all night," the figure began in an unnaturally deep voice, "or are you going to shoot me?"_

 _The soldiers didn't even hesitate before opening fire. The cloaked figure jerked with every bullet that hit his body and soon he fell back, seemingly dead. Two of the soldiers moved forward to confirm the kill. One of them poked at the figure with his rifle and for a moment let out a sigh of relief when the figure didn't immediately respond._

" _It's ok guys! He's de-" the soldier was cut off as he figure jolted up and threw four black daggers to the nearest soldier. He fruitlessly tried to block one of the daggers hitting his face by bringing his hand up but the dagger simply went through his hand. The figure then made an upwards motion with his hand and the soldier's corpse flew upward and stuck to the ceiling._

" _Oh crap," one of the soldier's began as he saw the second soldier impaled and thrust upward to the ceiling, "SEMBLANCE!"_

" _Semblance?" the figure chuckled, "Oh you people are so narrow-minded. It's...actually somewhat...amusing." The figure spread his arms to his sides as black and red runes appeared with a black dagger emerging from them. The attacker merely pointed forward and then upward. The daggers launched themselves at the men and cut right through the armor and then they zoomed upwards, joining the other two bodies._

 _From there, it was a bloodbath. The attacker systematically attacked and destroyed all threats to him even though the men might as well have been firing paintballs at this thing. The first thing to fall was the communications. He had commandeered a rifle of one of the fallen soldiers and gunned down everyone in there. The consoles were then shot up as well to prevent any sort of call to get out to Atlas command. Even with the CCT network down, local communication was still up. Next to fall was the east wing armory. The soldiers guarding it were quickly slaughtered by their attacker. He grabbed one of the grenades off one of the soldier's belts, primed it, and then threw it into the armory and walked away. A massive wall of flame erupted from the armory door as the assailant walked off._

 _Once both of the main targets were down, the attacker slaughtered everyone. Doctors and soldiers alike. Allison had heard him coming and panicked. She needed somewhere to hide from this madman. She turned to look at the cryopod, jumped in, and quickly activated it. It was only by a miracle that this killer had passed her by. She was still semi-conscious due to the freezing process only being active for a few minutes as she heard the figure speak._

" _Ah...it feels GOOD to take lives on a massive scale once more but…," the figure was cut off as the cold-induced sleep took hold of the Faunus doctor._

Neon was shocked once Allison had finished her story.

"And...there's one other thing…," Allison began, "I don't think it left."

Flynt's eyes widened as he brought up his Scroll to contact the men in the east wing.

"Captain, this Specialist Flynt do you read me?"

No one answered.

"Captain, come in!"

"I'm sorry...Specialist Flynt," an unfamiliar voice answered, "but the Captain and his men are...unavailable. Oh...hold on a moment…"

A soldier's screaming could be heard on the other end. Pleas of mercy going unanswered as a loud blood splat could be heard replacing those last words.

"I thought I had dealt with the last of them. Well...now I have," the attacker said.

"Who...are...you?" Flynt demanded.

"Tell me...Specialist Flynt...how much do you care...for your partner, Miss Neon Katt? Because I can tell you...if you love her...you will surrender now. If you do...I will not kill her. If you refuse this offer...know that I will make your lives...living hells. I will slaughter your men as mercilessly as you slaughter the Grimm. I will BREAK Miss Katt personally and I will rip away EVERYTHING you hold dear on this mortal plane. Do we understand each-,"

Flynt hung up on this madman and turned to the soldier supporting Doctor Grey.

"Take her back to the ship. Get her OUT of here!"

The soldier nodded and walked off with Doctor Grey, making their ways back to the gunships.

"The rest of us...we're finding this guy...this...madman...and we're taking HIM down."

"Sir, yes sir!"

Neon nodded as well. "Lead the way Flynt."

Flynt drew his weapon and led his men to the east wing of the facility.

Meanwhile, in the east wing, Belail crushes the communicator with his hand and sighs. "Well...that was rude," the Lord of Lies muttered to himself.

Eventually, the group arrived at the east wing and quickly found the soldiers that went ahead of them. Or what was left of them. The person who contacted them was nowhere in sight.

"Dust...damn it," Flynt muttered, "he's going to pay for this."

"Oh will I?" came the eerie voice of the murderer. The figure walked out of the shadows, his cloak still concealing his true appearance from them.

"Yeah! We're taking you down you psycho!" Neon shouted.

"Ah...as energetic as ever Miss Katt. I must admit...I am intrigued by your styles of combat. I was actually somewhat HOPING they'd send you two."

"How do you…"

"I watched your bout against the heiress and the brawler."

"You...you saw the Vytal Festival?"

"Oh yes. I didn't watch every fight mind you but I did watch the important ones. Among them...was yours against team RWBY. Been awhile since I've had to fight sonic weaponry so this should be fairly interesting."

The soldiers all aim their rifles at the figure as he raises his hood, revealing his horned helmet **(A/n: *Cues Kylo Ren theme*)**. He then snaps his fingers and the cloak completely vanishes, showing them all the armored suit he wears.

"You should feel honored...you will be the first huntsmen to face Belail, the Lord of Lies," the demon lord stated proudly as he drew a massive obsidian-black double-edged sword and a dagger. This dagger was different from the ones he used before because it was red-bladed kris.

"Open fire!" one of the soldiers shouts. The others blast him but just like before the demon is unphased.

"My turn," the demon rushes the soldiers and begins to slice them apart. Many of them draw their own blades but their weapons are sliced apart easily. One of the soldiers tries to stab him in the heart but the Lord of Lies breaks slices through his arm with his sword and then stab him in the head with his kris. Two of the soldiers try to attack him at once but Belail blocks both attacks. He then spins the blades and slashes both of their throats. Belail then stabs another soldier through the chest with his sword and cuts him in a half from there. The demon lord continues to cut through each of the soldiers until there are only two people left. Neon and Flynt.

"Now then...with the warm-up out of the way…," Belail holds out his sword while positioning the hand holding the kris just above it **(A/N: Think of the Legion Etiquette gesture from Dark Souls 3)**.

Flynt suddenly brings out his trumpet and blows into it, unleashing one his sonic attacks, sending the demon flying back while Neon rode the soundwave for momentum. She cracked her nunchucks, turning their lights from cyan-blue to light-red. She then unleashed a flurry of blows on the demon lord. Each hit she landed was followed by a miniature explosion due to the Dust. The demon soon recovered and grabbed Neon by the wrist. He then threw her into the wall and managed to regain his footing while the soundwave still raged. A rune appeared around the Lord of Lies' wrist. The rune glowed as an orb of red energy form in his hand and he fired the orb from his hand. Flynt had to stop his soundwave to dodge the attack as it exploded where he once stood. Several more bolts flew from the demon's hand and caused several more explosions. Each one missed its target fortunately. Neon got back on her feet and jumped Belail, wrapping her nunchucks around his neck. The demon lord easily threw her off of him and Flynt just as easily caught her.

"Ok...let's try something different…" Flynt said as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a wind Dust canister. He then quickly inserted it into his trumpet and turned to Neon.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" the musician Huntsmen asked his partner.

"Yup!" Neon beamed as she cracked her nunchucks several times to return them to their cyan-glow.

The demon lord tilted his head a bit in confusion and then realized it. Before he could do anything though, Flynt let loose another sonic blast and Neon twirled her nunchucks in unison. The blast itself soon formed a whirlwind and the ice Dust infused it with dozens of icy projectiles. Belail blocked against the onslaught of shards and he managed to move his kris into a slot on the pommel of his sword. A shaft extended out of the pommel with the kris still attached and two curved blades emerged from the sides of the polearm. Belail then thrust his newly transformed trident into ground as another rune appeared underneath it. The blades seemed to sink into the sea of shadow that was in the center of the rune. Two similar runes appear beneath Neon and Flynt, both of them taking notice and breaking off their attack. If they had waited a moment longer, two energy-copies of the demonic trident would've impaled them.

"Damn this guy's good," Flynt muttered as he adjusted his hat.

"Um...think we should go with plan R?"

"Plan...R?" Belail parroted, "I didn't realize you had such limited options."

Flynt nodded to the cat Faunus who shouted, "RUN!" Flynt and neon made a mad dash for the exit. Belail merely rolled his eyes and ran after them, muttering under his breath, "Why do they always run?"

The two Huntsmen managed to make it and they seemed to have lost Belail. Flynt got his scroll out and shouted into it.

"Pilot! Get over here! Remember that quick exit I said we might need?! Well we need it and we need it NOW!"

Before Flynt could get a response he suddenly heard a scream of shock come from Neon. He quickly turned around and saw Neon being held over both of Belail's shoulders.

"How did you…"

"Catch up? Simply put...I made a short-range teleport. Beginner's level spell in fact. But even the basics can have their uses."

"Spell?!"

"What? You believed magic to be nothing more than a force in tales of fantasy? Oh no...magic is real Specialist Flynt. Ask General Ironwood. Ask him about the Story of the Seasons. See what the Headmaster of your prestigious academy has to say. Shame I won't be there to see it...when you learn the truth," the Lord of Lies let out a chuckle, "I find it so AMUSING how similar your leaders are to me."

"They're nothing like you! Now let her go!"

"See...that's where you're wrong. Myself...and the headmasters of Beacon, Haven, Shade, and even ATLAS have at least...two things in common. The first; we can keep up lies for YEARS and then have the smallest slip-up bring it all down. The second...we're both responsible...for ruining a young girl's LIFE!" Belail roared as he brought Neon down over his knee with a loud organic crunch. The cat Faunus could only gasp in pain as her spine was broken by the power of the demon lord and the strength of his armor. She couldn't even stay conscious from the shock and her eyes closed.

"NEON!" Flynt shouted as he saw Belail toss Neon's unconscious body towards him like a ragdoll. Flynt looked down at his partner and then up at Belail. "You...BASTARD!" The huntsmen didn't even reach for his trumpet and he just rushed the Lord of Lies to throw a punch. Belail smirked under his helmet as he saw something so utterly familiar to him. The blinding fury and anger that comes with seeing someone hurt. So many people had gone through that because of him.

Flynt tried to throw a right hook at Belail but the demon merely side-stepped, grabbed Flynt's arm, and broke it. Flynt screamed in pain as the bones snapped.

"Consider yourself lucky...if I had planned for you to die...I wouldn't stop with a broken arm. The message is ready. Now...all I need is for your pilots...to deliver it," Belail said in a near whisper.

"W-what...what message?"

"That no matter who's sent- be it the protectors of the innocent or a more simple soul- they will NOT succeed. They...will...fail. But unlike you...they won't survive." Belail looked up and he saw the gunships come into view. He let go of Flynt's arm and began to walk into the forest behind the facility. The gunships landed and their landing ramps opened. A soldier and Doctor Grey rushed out to bring them back on board. Doctor Grey had to carefully move Neon and Flynt managed to get on on his own.

"Neon…," Flynt said softly as he sat next to Neon who was currently laid out on the seats next to him.

 **With both the huntsmen back on board, the gunships zoomed back to the capital...with Belail's message in their holds.**

 **(A/N: And thus. Belail's combat debut leaves Flynt with a broken arm and Neon with a broken spine. Don't worry, she's still alive but there's no way she'll be skating again any time soon. Next chapter we get team RNJR on the open ocean, fighting the aquatic Grimm and then next week we get their arrival in Mistral, mixed with Yang and Blake's journey to find them. Also side note, plus the Author's Note here, this is my largest chapter yet. As always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	16. Chapter 16: Dark Waters

It was already day three of team RNJR's voyage on the oceans that would lead them to Mistral. Nora was at the bow of the ship, her arms outstretched as she enjoyed the sea breeze in her hair. Ren was behind her in case she got carried away and almost fell overboard like before. At first, Nora was uncharacteristically quiet. Ren was actually about to ask if she was ok when the hammer-wielding valkyrie spoke up.

"You know...I appreciate the company first mate Ren!" Nora proudly exclaimed.

"First mate? You're no longer a queen but a captain?" the hyperactive red-head's partner replied.

"I can be both! Ever heard of a pirate queen Renny? Of course I'm missing some things...especially if I'm going to be a pirate queen like from one of Blake's books."

Ren's eyes widened a bit in shock at that. "You...read one of her books?"

"Yeah!"

"When?"

"Remember when Glynda did that sparring class? I managed to sneak into RWBY's dorm, take a book, read it over the next several nights, then returned it."

"And...Blake...didn't notice?"

"Nope!" the red-head popped the "p" and smiled.

"Do...I even want to know WHAT you'd need to match that?"

"Hey you might be into it! I mean it might not be that good to wear in PUBLIC what cause of the amount of chest that's exposed but it might work in private."

"Wait what was that last part?"

"Nothing! N-nothing at all!" Nora did her best to hide the blush on her face and tried to cover her embarrassment with an innocent giggle. The hammer wielding girl let out a mental sigh of relief. _Crisis averted there Nora! Good job! S-rank recovery! I mean you'll need to tell Renny EVENTUALLY but for nooooooooooooooooooow let's just keep it under wraps. We don't want to ruin anything now do we? Hehe...yeah…_

Ren waved his hand in front of Nora's face for a moment. "Um, Nora? You there?"

"E-eh? W-what?" the red-head blinked a few as she was pulled from her thoughts.

"You spaced out there for a minute."

"I did? Whoops! Sorry! Anyway, back on topic! You think they have a hat I could borrow at least?"

Ren just lightly smiled at his partner's antics.

Meanwhile, Jaune was currently hunched over the port railing and his face had been turned an unnatural shade of green. Ruby was next to him making sure he didn't fall overboard.

"Feeling better yet Jaune?" the red-cloaked girl asked.

"Ugh...a little. Have I mentioned how much I HATE my motion sickness?"

"Oh, only about several dozen times. Literally."

"Oh...right...you know...not gonna lie...I've always wondered why it seems like NOBODY else has this."

"Huh...that's a good question actually. I mean you told me before when you were on the airship you didn't have your Aura unlocked. Now you do though. Sooooo...what does that mean exactly?"

"Hey...you tell me."

"...Touche. Well...anyway, hopefully we don't have to deal with any Grimm on the water."

Little did Ruby know that she jinxed it. Silently following the ship were at least twenty white fins and something larger following them accompanied by a dark green glow. For a moment, the top half of a creature's head emerged from the water behind them. It's glowing green eyes focused on the ship ahead of it. The beast then quickly submerged and followed its pack.

A few hours later, Jaune had gotten over his sickness. Of course, Nora made a few passing comments about Jaune not even having his sea-legs and saying that if he didn't earn them by the end of the trip, the newly appointed pirate queen would make him walk the plank. Jaune tried asking where she even got the pirate hat but it was Nora. She can get the most absurd things out of seemingly nowhere. At times, it could definitely be entertaining.

But that was when the boat rocked. It wasn't the normal rocking of the waves against the boast but more like something else slammed into the boat.

"What was that?" Ren inquired, his hands ready to draw StormFlower.

"Not sure," Jaune answered as he drew Coreca Mors as well. Ruby and Nora drew their own weapons shortly after.

"Hey...does anyone know if there are any aquatic Grimm in this region?" Nora asked.

Of course, they weren't the only people on deck. The first-mate from before was drunk again, leaning against the railing and spouting some incoherent ramblings. Nora was just about to turn to him and tell him to shut his mouth but suddenly there were two quick splashes of water and then silence. The red-head turned to face where the man was but only his flask of whiskey on the deck.

"Um...guys? Where'd the drunk go?" she turned to her teammates who were also looking at where the first-mate once stood. The four of them quickly moved over to where the drunken man once stood and looked over the edge. The water had turned crimson.

"Oh Dust...GRIMM!" Nora shouted.

As the four get into battle stances, a Grimm shark leaps up from the water. The creature was called a Kamoah. The beast was about the size of a bull shark with white bone-like armor around its head, fins, and tail. The Kamoah tried to use its powerful jaws to clamp down on one of the four humans in front of it but instead it received a bone-breaking hit in the face from Nora. Several serrated, blood-stained, teeth flew from the shark's mouth as the beast itself went flying.

"Ha! Guess it's a game of whack-a-shark now!" the hammer-wielder proudly exclaimed.

"That's one down," Jaune began as he saw the 19 other fins converging on the boat-two of which were incredibly well-armored-, "and 19 more to go." But they wouldn't be alone in the fight. Several of the crew armed themselves with special Dust-tipped harpoon guns. The harpoons themselves had the capability to detonate on impact, one just needed to aim properly. Since once again, Jaune lacked any form of ranged weaponry, he took one of the harpoon guns to use.

One the Kamoah were in range, everyone opened fire. Harpoons whizzed into the water as some of them hit the shark Grimm and others missed due to the natural quickness of the beasts. Nora fired several special delayed grenades to act as depth charges. One overly-curious Kamoah swam up to one of the grenades and ate it only for it explode minutes later.

"Wooo! I guess we're having seafood later tonight!"

Ruby fired several rounds into the water but every time she tried, the Kamoah dove deeper so the water would stop the shots or they outright dodged them.

"Is anyone else ANNOYED by these things?!" Ruby shouted to her friends.

"Only slightly!" Ren called back.

"Why won't they just STAND STILL?!" came Jaune's voice which was filled with annoyance at the shark monsters. "DUST! They just keep moving!"

"YEP! Just keep swimming little fishies...keep swimming into my grenades!" Nora shouted as she fired another round of depth-charge grenades.

Nine of the beasts had been killed by the time they reached the boat. The Kamoah lept out of the water and tried to bite down on anyone and anything they could. The first one to emerge from the water unfortunately managed to clamp its jaws around a crewman's arm and pulled him overboard. Two more fins could be seen joining the first in devouring the poor soul that was pulled into the ocean. One of the Kamoah tried to bite down on Ruby but she swung her scythe and sliced it in half. Another shark tried to bite down on her cloak that had moved within its reach due to her swing. The crimson-cloaked girl quickly shot the beast in the mouth, sending it crashing down into the waves.

"No one touches the cloak!" Ruby shouts at the shark.

Nora managed to swing Magnhild and hit two sharks, sending them flying. Ren sliced another one into ribbons and Jaune stabbed one through the mouth.

The two older Kamoah saw their brethren being slaughtered and decided now was the time to retreat. The Grimm turned and began to swim away until two massive heads emerged from underneath them and bit them in half. The two heads then turned their attention to the boat full of humans.

"HYDRA!" one of the crewman shouted as four more heads rose from the waves.

"You sure about that? Cause that doesn't look like any Hydra I've ever seen!" another shouted.

"Oh and you've seen a Hydra before?!"

"No he's right!" Ruby called out, "That's no ordinary Hydra! It's a mutant!"

Indeed, the Hydra was one of the mutant Grimm created by the mad scientist, Nero Merlot. The Hydra itself had the normal black skin and bone-white armor associated with the beasts but the backs of their necks were lined with glowing, green,crystalline spikes. The red marks on the monster's body was also an odd shade of green. All six of the fish-like heads bared their massive needle-like teeth as they growled at the ship. Beneath the waves, the beast's glowing green markings pulsated on its two-and only- clawed feet and tail, which also had the glowing spikes running its length.

The Hydra then roars at the boat full of humans in front of it and it rears one of its heads back.

"What...what is it doing?" a third crewman asked.

His question was quickly answered as the Hydra shot a stream of boiling water at the ship. Part of the mutation clearly. Ruby had heard stories about the normal would merely use their brute strength, claws, and teeth like any Grimm whether they struck a ship out at sea or if they ravaged a village in brutal fashion. They were one of the worst threats coastal villages could deal with. An amphibious Grimm that size? It was a nightmare for villages.

Team RNJR and several of the crew members managed to find cover but two of the men were caught in the water stream and scalded to death.

"Ok," Jaune began, "avoid the boiling water jets."

The Hydra then submerged and quickly swam towards the ship.

"Harpoons aren't gonna be enough to stop that thing!"

"Like we need harpoons to deal with that six-headed freak!" Nora shouted proudly as she brandished Magnhild.

The Hydra then re-emerged from beneath the waves and took a hold of the boat. Team RNJR came out from cover to face the massive mutated Grimm after a moment. The monster simply looked at them and roared again. Ruby quickly rushed the monster and began to swing her scythe against one of the creature's heads. The Hydra head lunged forward and tried to bite Ruby but the scythe-wielder was able to dodge just in time. She then let loose a volley of sniper shots that only served to anger the beast.

At the same time, Nora was firing several grenades at one of the heads. Just like Ruby's sniper shots, the grenades only seemed to annoy it. The head lunged down at her to try and eat her but the red-head simply swung Magnhild in its hammer form into the face of the Grimm. The beast roared and spat a stream of hot water. Nora quickly dodged and merely slammed her hammer on top of the beast's head to shut its jaws. Ren sliced at a head that was going to bite Nora from the side. Once the head had moved back,he opened fire with StormFlower.

Jaune didn't go for the heads as his team-mates did. No, they came up with a plan once they saw it latch onto the boat. Ruby, Nora, and Ren were to distract the beast while Jaune went in to force it off the boat. He swung his sword and stabbed the beast's clawed hand. All of the Hydra's eyes widened and all six heads roared in pain. The first hand let go of the ship as green blood oozed from the wound, another side effect of the mutagen serum. The Hydra then focused all its attention on Jaune. The look in the beast's eyes was familiar to Jaune. After all he had seen it from Cardin before when he threw the red sap at him back in Forever Fall. And from Weiss when he tried to court her. And from Nora when Ren was sick and Jaune didn't make the pancakes the way his hyperactive teammate had wanted.

"Ok guys...I think it just wants ME dead now! Deal with the other hand and please do it QUICKLY!" Jaune called as he barely dodged an assault from two of the Hydra's heads. The two heads comically smashed into each other and became dazed. The piscine heads shook themselves and regained their bearings, glaring daggers at Jaune. One of them lunged at him but the blonde knight was able to bring up his shield to block the head's strike. He then swung Coreca Mors in a forward arc and activated his semblance. The glowing white blade cut into the Hydra's neck, having more mutated blood ooze out. Jaune kept pushing the blade deeper into the scaly neck try to sever it and with one last final push, the piscine head was slashed off followed by a jet of blood.

"Oh that's disgusting!" Nora called out as she saw the stream of green slime erupt from the severed neck of the Hydra. The Grimm took advantage of the distraction and smacked her away with its head. She hit the deck with loud thud and was fast enough to smack the head again as it lunged forward, ready to eat her.

Ruby rushed for the second hand and cut right through the wrist, resulting in another jet of green mutated blood spewing out of the wound. The Hydra roared in pain as it fell back into the ocean with a loud splash, which soaked all of team RNJR.

"Ok guys...come for me if I'm not back in two minutes," Ruby said as she ran for the edge.

"Wait what?!" NJR shouted in unison as they ran after their teammate. Ruby then dove off the edge with Crescent Rose in scythe mode. She then swam quickly after the falling Hydra to deal the final blow. The Grimm itself saw this and one of the heads tried to spit its boiling water but nothing happened.

 _Wow...not very smart are you big guy?_ Ruby thought to herself as she continued to dive. Two of the heads rushed at Ruby and she stabbed one of them through the mouth and stabbed the other in the neck. She used her Semblance to quickly propel herself down to the chest of the Hydra and stabbed it with her blade. The Hydra roared in pain as Ruby drove the blade deeper until finally, the beast's eyes closed and it sunk into the water, the body already vanishing. Ruby then realized something.

 _Oh Dust I need air!_ She used her Semblance in a short burst to make sure she wasn't affected by the bends. She soon surfaced and waved to her teammates.

"I'm ok guys! I'm ok! Can't say the same for the Hydra! I guess you could say he'll be feeling that HEART BREa-oh Dust I almost made a Yang pun…," Ruby muttered as she began to swim back to the boat with Crescent Rose on her back.

Meanwhile, back on Patch, Blake and Yang had recently arrived at the village of Arroyo after dealing with a pack of Beowolves. On the path in though, the two had noticed scorch marks on the ground along with several heavy boot prints and various Grimm tracks.

"Damn," Yang commented as she looked at them all, "how many do you think there were?"

"Stating the obvious here but...a lot. There were Ursai, Beowolves, Creeps, and…whoa," Blake said freezing a bit.

"Whoa? What whoa?"

"Beringels."

"Beringels?"

"I forgot...you slept during that class."

"It was Professor Port's lecture that put me to sleep. Though...the name does sound familiar."

"Giant ape Grimm."

"Giant apes? Um...Blake are you SURE about that?"

"The tracks are unmistakable."

"Blake...the only Grimm that are on Patch are Beowolves, Ursai, and a couple of Creep dens. If there were giant Grimm apes running around, I think I'd know."

"Well then if they aren't native to Patch…"

"Then someone brought them over. Think it was Merlot? I mean we never DID catch the guy."

"It...could be him. Or...it could be the Fourth Legion."

"So...how come they didn't get ripped apart by the Grimm? Why were they just...running with them? Grimm don't just do that. Even during the attacks, White Fang were ripped apart by a few of them!"

"I...I don't know how. Come on. Let's just keep going. We can ask about it in town when we ask if Ruby took this route."

The two young huntresses walked into the city and were greeted by a boar Faunus.

"Welcome to Arroyo," he said, "I'm Malcolm. Malcolm Brans."

"Yang. Yang Xiao Long," the blonde introduced herself, "and this is my partner Blake."

"We're...looking for someone and we'd like to know if she came this way."

"Kinda short, silver eyes, giant scythe, has a thing for weapons…"

"You mean Ruby?" Malcolm interjected.

"So...she WAS here?!" Yang asked.

"Yeah. Her and her friends, Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Who ELSE do you think saved us from a demon and Grimm army?"

Blake's and Yang's jaws dropped at that. The blonde quickly overcame her shock and her lips formed into a smile.

"That's my Ruby! Wait till Dad hears about this one! Ruby helped stopped a demon and Grimm army!"

"Also uh...random question...was it a GOOD thing for Nora to have gotten into a tank?"

The two girls looked mortified and said in perfect unison, "Whose idea was that?!"

 **(A/N: And now, with the naval forces out of the way, team RNJR has a straight shot to Mistral with Blake and Yang not that far behind. Next week we'll get the arrival in Mistral and then a little check-in with Weiss and team FNKI. One a scheduling note, soon, these chapters will be coming out more slowly sadly but I'll still be posting them whenever I can. Anyway as always, read, review and enjoy.)**


	17. Chapter 17: Arrival

Two more days had passed since team RNJR's battle with the Hydra. Jaune was the first to wake up at 6 AM. He chuckled at how this must be the first time he's been the first one up. Normally, Ren beats him to it but even he could sleep in every once in awhile. Jaune stretched for a minute before reaching for Coreca Mors to take with him. The blonde knight yawned a bit as he walked to the bow of the ship. He had to admit, the view was beautiful. The sunrise really was a sight to behold. Often times, when he still had a crush on Weiss, he'd fantasize about sharing this kind of moment with her. However, now, he wished someone else was there to share the moment with him. Pyrrha. Once they arrived at port, he'd have to try and find and tell Pyrrha's parents about what happened even though he already knew their reaction. It would be the same as his when he heard that Pyrrha was gone. Shock, horror, denial, rage. All of those emotions and more running through their heads as they tried to process the news that their daughter had been brutally killed by a Fall Maiden. That was going to be...well...difficult would be an understatement.

"So...up early?" came the voice of Ruby from behind Jaune.

"Yeah. Shouldn't you still be sleeping? Wait...was it me? I woke you didn't I?" the blonde responded.

"No, no. I just," Ruby's sentence was interrupted by a small yawn, "I just woke early is all."

"Ah...right."

"You're...thinking about her aren't you?"

"Yeah...I'm thinking about her. I think...she would've loved this view and to show us around the city she grew up in. Show us the sights of Mistral, introduce us to her family, her friends from Sanctum…"

"What do you think Mistral's even like?"

"I once asked Pyrrha that too. What is Mistral like? She said that Vale reminded her of home but minus the canals. From what she said, instead of having normal roads, canals criss-cross all over the city. She even once told me that when training at Sanctum she accidentally fell in one. She still finds it funny...and so did I. It...it seems so long ago when we were sitting together in a dorm room planning training sessions and worrying about homework."

"I know. And...I know you don't blame me for it...but...I still want to say it. I'm sorry...for failing you both."

"Ruby...you don't need to apologize."

"I know but...I still feel like I should…"

"Ruby...listen. You don't need to apologize. You did what you could."

"But...I could've done more."

Jaune was trying to figure out a way to comfort Ruby more when Nora showed up.

"Morning guys!" the red-head said in a rather sing-song manner.

"Morning Nora," Ruby said back, thankful for the hammer-wielder's sudden appearance.

"Sooooooo Ren and I woke up a while ago and we-well he- figured out should be at Mistral by nine today! NINE!"

"Only three more hours? Already?"

"I know right?! We'll be there sooooooo soon! Time sure flies huh? Especially when you have to deal with a giant mutated Grimm Hydra!"

"I guess so," Jaune chuckled.

Three hours later-the last thirty minutes of which were filled to the brim with Nora constantly asking if they were there yet- the ship they were on arrived at port. Nora was the first to disembark by literally jumping off the ship and landing on the docks shouting, "Yes! 10 out of 10! Nailed it!"

"I'd give it an 8.5," Jaune said jokingly, "no back-flips in that Nora."

"Um, I'm gonna go with 9 out of 10," Ruby beamed.

"See? At least Ruby knows how to properly rate a jump!" Nora pouted, "Although I haven't heard Ren's rating."

"10 out of 10, Nora," Ren said with a light smile.

"Yes!" the red-head pumped her fist into the air as RNJ walked onto the docks.

"Next stop: Haven," Ruby said with a smile.

Team RNJR walked away from the docks and into Mistral City which was a sight to behold. Like Jaune had said on the ride over, canals criss-crossed over the entire city with boats going by. The city itself resembled Vale aside from the waterways replacing the roads. In fact, Ruby found the resemblance almost eerily similar.

After twenty minutes of walking past various shops and restaurants, Ruby overheard two very familiar voices talking to each other.

"Ok...what the ability to fly north and ONLY north?" the first voice asked.

"Ehhhhhhh, fifty-fifty I think," the second answered.

"Oh come on that's a GREAT terrible super-power!"

"I mean you can still FLY."

"Yeah but only in ONE DIRECTION! That'd be super inconvenient! Then you'd need to walk back to wherever it is you were going!"

"Sun? Neptune?" Ruby called out causing the monkey Faunus and blue-haired huntsman to turn around to face her.

"Ruby?!" Sun shouted, "Ha! It is you!"

"Nice to see you guys too," Ruby beamed, "Where are Scarlet and Sage?"

"Back at Haven. They got roped into a training exercise along with two members of Arslan's team. Reese and Nadir I think."

"Oh! Team ABRN! I remember them from the tournament!"

"Yeah that's them. So how and when did you guys get here?"

"We got here a few minutes ago and as for the how...well that's actually a bit of a long story involving an army of soldiers and Grimm, an ex-Atlas soldier, a boat, a school of Kamoah, and a mutated Hydra that could spit boiling water."

Both Sun's and Neptune's jaws hung open at that until Neptune broke the silence.

"An army? You guys found the White Fang?!" he asked.

"Well...no…," Jaune spoke up, "it uh...it wasn't the Fang. They weren't human or Faunus."

"Well...then what were they?" Sun asked.

"You...wouldn't believe us if we told you."

"Oh yeah? Try me."

Jaune and Ruby exchanged a glance as Ren and Nora watched from the background.

"We...we think they're demons."

"Demons?"

"As in...need a priest, perform an exorcism, demons?" Neptune added.

"Yes. Well...I'm not sure if they can possess people but I wouldn't rule that out as a power they have. Hell, they were somehow able to control the Grimm!"

"Ok...now I KNOW you guys are messing with us. There's no WAY to control the Grimm!"

"Nora?" Ruby asked turning to the hammer-wielder.

"Oh! Right! Photo from the base!" the red-head said as she quickly grabbed her Scroll and pulled up the recent photos. She slid her finger across the screen to show the face of one of the Fourth Legion soldiers unmasked.

"...Yeah...that's a demon. That is a demon right there. Or something REALLY close," Sun said, trying to hide his shock.

"And what's worse...they know Cinder," Jaune stated as he crossed his arms.

"Wait...that girl from the broadcast? The one who…"

"Yeah. Apparently, this army calling themselves the Fourth Legion, and Cinder used to be on the same side. Something happened, not sure what, but now they want her dead."

"And you think she's hiding in Mistral?" Neptune asked.

"No...well...not exactly. We know for a fact that we might be able to still track down Emerald and Mercury here. Cinder...she's gonna be harder to find. After all...she almost killed us back on Patch."

"Ok...you guys have GOT to tell us what happened."

"We will," Ruby began, "but first, could you take us to Haven?"

"Of course!" Sun and Neptune took the lead and led the group to Haven.

 _Once we get to Haven and set up there...I need to find them,_ Jaune thought to himself about his other goal while in Mistral as he and his friends followed the monkey Faunus and his blue-haired partner.

However on one of the rooftops above, unseen by pretty much the whole city due to her Semblance, stood a very familiar-and rather short- girl with an umbrella in her left hand and a Scroll in her right. The light _click_ of a camera shutter could be heard followed by the tapping of buttons being pressed. The girl then pressed the send button.

The message was a picture of team RNJR following Sun and Neptune accompanied by two words.

[ _Guess who?_ ]

Meanwhile on Patch, Yang and Blake have arrived at the port village of Kam'ino and bought a room at an inn. The two of them were told the entire story of what happened with Ruby, Jaune, Nora, Ren fighting against the Fourth Legion and their leader, Commander Razael.

"Rubes is growing up...man...Dad would REALLY love hearing this," Yang said as she smiled.

"I'm sure he would. Now...we need to find a way to get over to Mistral."

"Yeah. Someone's gotta have a boat to take us over there."

Little did the two realize that, much like those they were following, someone was eavesdropping on their conversation.

A few minutes later, the two hear a knock on the door of their room.

"I got it," Yang said, walking towards the door. "Hello? Helloooooooo?" the blonde said looking down the hallway only to find no-one. "Huh...must've been the wrong room," she began closing the door when she heard paper crumple on the floor. The blonde reached over and picked up the piece and read it. When she read, she smiled at the good luck but then reached the bottom and saw the signature.

"Who was it?" Blake asked as she walked up behind Yang.

Yang quickly recovered from her shock. "No one was there...but...I do have an address for someone who could take us to Mistral," Yang did hide one thing from her partner though. The signature had a slightly modified version of her uncle Qrow's emblem-being colored red and with two red v-shaped marks extending out-and a single phrase next to it: "Least I could do for you, R."

 **(A/N: Another week, another two chapters. This one being the shorter of the two though. Next up is Weiss' chapter. Yang and Blake are almost within reach of finding team RNJR with some unlikely help, Neo knows team RNJR's in Mistral, and Sun and Neptune show up. As for Mistral itself, I based it off of Venice because it looks like most interpretations have it to be just another city like Vale or Atlas and I wanted to give it its own unique thing. As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


	18. Chapter 18: Mirror, Mirror

Weiss was back in Atlas and in her family house, looking out over the front yard from a balcony that was connected to her room. Under normal circumstances, she might enjoy going home for a while. Of course, these weren't normal circumstances. For one, the only reason she used to enjoy being here was Winter. The older Schnee sister made life bearable in the estate but now of course, Winter was busier than ever before. The servants in the estate were nice but Weiss knew they were only being nice to her because she was the heiress and it just...bothered her. True, she knew people would act this way but after being around Ruby, Yang, Blake, and so many others who saw her as herself and not just the Schnee heiress it felt strange to be treated this way again. And then...there was her father. Their first conversation when they had arrived back in Atlas was nothing but Weiss being berated for her choice to even become a huntress. Weiss couldn't forget it even if she tried.

 _Four months ago, Weiss and her father,Albus Schnee, had returned to Atlas and landed back at their mansion. The mansion itself was what you would expect to be the house of the CEO of the biggest Dust company on Remnant. The two Schnees hadn't said a word to each other over the entire trip back but when they arrived and were indoors, Albus spoke up._

" _This is one of the reasons I told you NOT to go down this path," the elder Schnee said, "It will only lead to more of these situations where you are thrust into a warzone."_

" _But Father-," Weiss began but was cut off._

" _There are no other options here Weiss. Your path leads to you inheriting the company when I'm gone and that is final."_

" _Then why did you let me attend Beacon in the first place?!" the heiress shouted, completely infuriated at this point._

" _I simply assumed it was a phase. If you got it out of your system then you would come to your senses and come home."_

" _So then why did WINTER get to become a huntress for Atlas?!"_

" _I assumed it was the same thing...until I learned she enlisted. Your sister and I have never seen eye so I can assume she did so just to spite me."_

" _Maybe because you wouldn't let her make her own choices."_

" _I have let her make her own choices Weiss! She chose to take our legacy and throw it to the wind for what? Glory? Honor? Yes, we know how to defend ourselves but that only came about because of the atrocities committed by those White Fang mongrels but that doesn't mean we are meant to be Huntsmen."_

" _Well what if Winter and I ARE meant to be Huntsmen? What if instead of being the CEO of our company, two of us ARE meant to be help Remnant not from behind some desk but out there ACTIVELY helping?"_

 _The Schnee patriarch doesn't respond for a moment._

" _This conversation is over Weiss," Albus walked off to his own private quarters as a female servant walked up to Weiss._

" _Miss Schnee, if you'll follow me please. Your father wanted something more formal for you to wear for when you returned. Something special."_

 _Weiss begrudgingly followed the servant to get her new outfit. She knew that her father wouldn't even let her wear her Huntress attire as long as she was in the mansion._

" _I must also inform you that your father has,for lack of a better term, placed under house arrest. His exact words to make sure his daughter doesn't leave the mansion. He did say as long as you stay in in the mansion grounds you can go outside. Once he feels it's safe enough, you will be able to go into the city but with an escort of no less than six armed guards."_

 _Weiss sighed, "I...understand." Mentally, Weiss was trying her best not to curse her father for being so overprotective but at the same time, she could understand it. Well...at least in this instance. Her father DOES love her and since he just saw her in what was accurately described as a warzone, facing hundreds if not thousands of bloodthirsty monsters with the sole intent of devouring anyone they come across, murderous extremists who'd like nothing more than to end her life and rogue Atlesian warbots. Going to see if your daughter is ok is just basic good parenting. Taking her away from her friends and into an entirely different kingdom...up for debate. Well not to Weiss. She despised her father for doing that._

" _Ah, here we are," the servant said as she showed Weiss her new outfit. A blue, glittering, mini-skirted dress with a sweetheart neckline on top of a white, tulle petticoat with a white ribbon to be tied around the waist, and a slightly sheer, long-sleeved, blue shrug that is to be fastened at the collar with a large sapphire brooch with three pendants dangling from it. To complete the outfit were a pair of blue platform heels. Weiss couldn't lie, it was impressive._

" _Do...we have sapphire earrings as well?" Weiss said, trying to make the most of this._

" _Of course Miss Schnee! Allow me to get them for you."_

After that, Weiss's life had nothing happen that didn't have to do with the SDC. Galas, business deals, board meetings, checking up on the Dust mines. One time, Weiss could even see what Blake meant when she mentioned the SDC's questionable business practices. A meeting with a man who looked like anything but a proper business man. Of course, she wasn't meant to be there but her father had decided that if was to learn more about the brutal task of running the company, she'd need to see how all aspects of the business were run. Including the questionable ones.

Presently, Weiss wasn't wearing her new Schnee attire or her pajamas, despite the fact it was almost midnight. No, instead she was wearing a white and blue hoodie, a blue skirt, and normal white shoes.

 _Hopefully this works,_ the heiress thought to herself as she pulled the hood over her head. She then looked over the balcony and sighed. She then vaulted over the side and fell. She quickly summoned a glyph to stop her fall. Several more appeared in front of her, forming a walkway. Judging from how fast the guards change shift, she had about five minutes to get over that wall. She changed the glyph into one that enhances speed. The heiress ran forward on the glyphs, quickly changing the last glyph into one that would give her enough momentum to jump over the wall. Weiss reached the last glyph that had turned black and jumped, easily clearing the wall and landing silently due to one last glyph.

 _Oh...my...Dust...FINALLY!_ The heiress mentally celebrated being outside of the Schnee estate. However that celebration came a bit soon as she soon realized that she hadn't planned on where to go once she was out. She grabbed her Scroll from out of her hoodie's pocket and searched for "24 hour establishments" to find something still open. The first result her Scroll produced was a cafe 30 miles from where she was. A bit of a walk to be sure but Weiss didn't care. She simply wanted to be a normal Atlesian citizen for a while and not someone who's had all her life choices made for her.

And so, the disguised heiress walked the entire way to the cafe. Of course, it wasn't exactly crowded due to the lack of tourists and people still up at this hour but Weiss didn't mind. The quiet would give her some time to think on things. She took a seat in one of the empty booths closest to a window so she could look out at the city. Soon, a waitress walked up to the booth holding a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other.

"What can I get for you?" she asked with a polite smile.

Before Weiss could say anything, someone else spoke up from across from her. "Two iced coffees should be enough I think but make sure to give my friend here extra ice."

"Alright will that be all?"

"Hmmm...yes I think so."

"Alright, let me go get your drinks."

The waitress left Weiss and her surprise guest. She thought for sure this booth was empty. She looked up from the menu in front of her to see a man with a seemingly shaven head, though there is stubble present, along with stubble for a beard. He had brown eyes, a normal complexion, and wore a simple business suit with a yellow and blue tie.

"Let me guess, you thought the booth was empty?" the person said with a slight chuckle.

"Yes...actually. I'm sorry if it's a bother," Weiss responded politely.

"No bother at all! I do so enjoy the company from friendly strangers. Though...you are no stranger."

"I...can't say we've met before."

"Well we have but not face to face. I attended one of your concerts and I never forget a face. Or a voice in this case. If my memory serves me well enough, I believe you sang a song entitled 'Mirror, Mirror.' Original composition from what I remember. And if I may say so, you are a NATURAL singer my dear. Very talented."

"I'm flattered. You know me...but...I don't know you."

"Oh I'm just a humble business man. Not in the Dust trade I can assure you. The SDC has a monopoly on that market. I am a mere merchant of mirrors."

"Mirrors?"

"A family business. Ah! Our drinks are here."

Sure enough, the waitress returned with two iced coffees, one having extra ice. The mystery man had been the one to pay the waitress and also gave her a 20 Lien tip before she left.

"Now then," the man took a sip of his coffee, "Mm good coffee. Now then, I can tell you're looking for something. You want something that can't be bought. Am I right?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The subtle tone in your voice. The look in your eyes. Your current posture. All things point to one thing: loneliness. And as luck would have it...I know some people who would need some support right about now. From a friend."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Something TERRIBLE recently happened and I don't expect the army to release that information yet. Would send PANIC into the hearts of the people so it's all very hush-hush."

"And you would know this...how?"

"I have my sources."

"Right…"

"May I see your Scroll?"

Weiss cautiously gave the man her Scroll and watched him type in a location into the GPS function.

"There we go!" He smirked as he handed the Scroll back to the heiress.

"Atlas General Hospital?"

"Like I said, they want to keep it hush-hush. So...they made up a cover-story. A public hospital is all part of the ruse."

"And...who will I find there that needs support?"

"Oh trust me...it won't be a long hunt," the man stressed the last word to make a point.

 _Huntsmen,_ Weiss mentally concluded.

The man took one last sip of his coffee and threw the cup away.

"Well, it was a pleasure talking to you my dear. But now...I need to go collect a debt and not THAT kind of debt. I'm not some thick-headed loan shark's hired muscle. Farewell my dear," the man got up and began to leave. As he did, he began to sing a small song.

"His smile fair as spring, as towards him he draws you.

His tongue sharp and silvery, as he implores you.

Your wishes he grants, as he swears to adore you.

Gold,silver,jewels, he lays riches before you.

Dues need be repaid and he will come for you.

All to reclaim, no smile to console you.

He'll snare you in bonds, eyes glowing afire.

To gore and torment you, till the stars expire."

Weiss didn't pay any attention to the odd tune as she too finished her coffee and left for Atlas General. When she entered she discreetly checked the room listings for wounded Huntsmen and Huntresses. She found only two recent additions and the names shocked her. Flynt Coal was in room 301 on the fourth floor and Neon Katt...was in Intensive Care 3 on the fifth. She rushed to the elevator and went to check on Neon first. When she stepped out, she noticed the closest rooms were Intensive Care 14 and 15. She encountered a doctor on break who had a cup of coffee in his hand from the same caffee Weiss was just at.

"Excuse me sir? Could you direct me to Intensive Care 3 please?" the heiress quickly asked.

"Oh yes. It's down this hall, eleventh door on the left. There should be a young girl sitting outside in an orange and purple dress. Poor girl was crying her eyes out when they first wheeled that Faunus in here. Truly tragic from what I heard."

Weiss thanked him for pointing her in the right direction and she walked over to the room. Sure enough, sitting outside the room was a girl with green hair wearing a purple and orange dress. Next to her chair were two buzz-saw axes. Buzz-axes if you will. Weiss approached her, lowering her hoodie, and noticed she was sleeping. She tried to wake her by poking her shoulder and the girl soon stirred from her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open showing her different colored eyes, one yellow, one blue.

"W-wha? O-oh...right...I fell asleep an hour ago," she said groggily. She then woke up fully when she noticed who had woken her. Weiss tried to silence her reaction and she succeeded.

"Y-you're Weiss Schnee! What are you doing here?!"

"Calm down. I came to check up on Neon. You're another member of team FNKI, correct?"

"Iris. Iris Makase," the girl extended her hand which Weiss took hold of and shook.

"Forgive me...if...it's difficult...but what happened to them? I noticed Flynt was only in room 301 two floors down but…"

"I...I was told not to tell anyone about what really happened. The higher-ups are going with a...a...a gunship crash. But...screw it...you're Winter's lil' sis. I think you get to know what really happened." Weiss took a seat next to her and listened attentively as Iris began her story.

"Everything we know...came from Flynt, a soldier, and a Faunus doctor named Allison Grey. Neon's been unconscious t-the whole time. The two of them were dispatched to investigate a medical outpost that had gone dark after a storm hit. It was thought that it was White Fang or Grimm but what they found...what they found was like NOTHING we've ever encountered. When they entered the base...t-they found...b-bodies stuck to the ceiling with knives, decapitations, slit throats, and s-so...so much other carnage. T-the only reason...Doctor Grey was able to escape the massacre...was because she hid in a cryo pod."

Already, Weiss was horrified by what she was hearing.

"They had split their forces prior to finding the doc. One force to the west wing and one to the east. The one that went east, led by two captains, was completely slaughtered. The guy responsible, the ONE PERSON responsible called Flynt and gave his name and an ultimatum. His name was B-belail...and he said to surrender...or suffer living hell. Flynt didn't buy it. Figured it was just a scare tactic. He told Doctor Grey and the only soldier to survive to get out of there while they went after the maniac. When they found him...he slaughtered the rest of the men and fought against Neo and Flynt. They put up a good fight but...he forced them to retreat. Right when it seemed like they were home-free...Belail took Neon...and...and…," tears began welling up in the girl's eyes, "he broke her spine."

Weiss had to place a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping. She felt tears well up in her own eyes.

"And Flynt? The...BASTARD calling himself the 'Lord of Lies' broke his arm! And then...he just...he just walked off. The whole time this...monster...enjoyed himself. And...a-according to the docs...Neon's spine was broken in a way that now...when she wakes up...s-she'll be paralyzed from the waist down. She'll be devastated when she hears! Atlas has cybernetics sure but that's for amputations! Belail broke her SPINE! And what's worse, her Aura broke when he did and even when it comes back her spine will STILL be broken! Broken arms, legs, things like that...they take days,sometimes a week or two, to get fixed by Aura. A spine? It'd be like if someone cut off someone's arm! That's not getting fixed!"

Weiss slightly winced at the mention of someone's arm being cut off as she remembered what happened to Yang but she knew right now that Iris needed the support that stranger told her about. So, the heiress hugged her.

"I'm sorry, Iris."

Iris simply sobbed into the heiress's shoulder for a while, hugging the heiress back tightly.

"Neon's my BEST friend Weiss! How...how is she gonna cope with this?!" the girl managed to blurt out between sobs.

"With our help Iris."

Iris managed to smile through the tears and sniffled a bit.

"Thank you. You know," Iris said trying to lighten the mood, "I did hear something good before. Neon apparently roped you into playing Remnant: The Game with someone named Yang and her sister Ruby."

Weiss smiled at the happy memory. "Oh yes. I remember that. It was only the second time I had played but it was also the second time I lost. Yang is a master at the game believe it or not."

"Oh I'd like to see her live up to that!"

Weiss giggled a bit. Finally, after four months of being confined in that estate, she felt like an everyday Huntress-to-be again. Well, almost, given the circumstances. And of course, she had people to talk to that saw her as Weiss and not her father successor.

But now, she had something new to worry about. Her friends, her partners, out there with this...monster calling himself Belail. She needed to find them.

 **(A/N: First off, if anyone knows who that business man is, wonderful! Anyway, this chapter actually takes place during day 1 of team RNJR's voyage before the Hydra fight. Next week, the chapters might come out more slowly, maybe one a week now, and the first arc in Mistral will begin. Oh! And shoutout to Mediaocrity4, writer of RWBYond Vale for letting me use his OC members of team FNKI. As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


	19. Chapter 19: Traitor Part 1

Team RNJR, now joined by Sun and Neptune, were on an airbus headed directly for Haven Academy.

"Ok! So, I just checked with the pilot. It'll be at least four hours before we get to Haven," Neptune said as he returned to the group.

"Now...you said you guys had fought Wraiths?" Sun asked Ruby as the stopped the story and waited for Neptune to return.

"Yep," the red-cloaked girl said, popping the p.

"Wait wait wait," Neptune interrupted, "Wraiths? As in the old Atlesian legend?"

"That's what Malcolm said too! He said they were supposed to be Atlas' boogeyman or something," Nora said.

"That's an understatement. Wraiths were...are...according to legend, an entire group of Huntsmen that got corrupted by some kind of darkness. Some people even said that the Wraiths were made by whatever created the Grimm."

"Human-Grimm hybrids. Of course. Lemme guess, there's also a giant suit of armor possessed by a Grimm?"

"Actually...those ARE real things. Well...now I guess the Wraiths are too but...besides the point."

"Anyway," Ruby spoke up, "after we dealt with the Wraiths and the Jaeger we went to their base in the village. We found out it was run by a skeleton crew and found out that Razael planned to test a massive weapon made by Dr. Merlot that destroy ANY being with Aura."

"Merlot? You mean that guy who made the mutant Grimm?"

"Yep, that's him. I have no idea why he's working with the demons but if the guy's making mutant Grimm…"

"He's already kiiiiiiiiinda insane," Nora interrupted.

"Like that even needs to be said about that guy," Sun added in.

Ruby continued her story for the remaining four hours of the trip. Sun and Neptune were both fascinated by the tale. A tale that would have to be repeated for the headmistress of Haven.

Four hours later, the air-bus had landed at Haven Academy and the six teens disembarked. Haven Academy was a perfect example of Mistralian architecture. Around them, students were going about their normal day dressed in the Haven uniform.

The six students proceeded to the combat room where Reese Chloris and Nadir Shiko of team ABRN were fighting against Sage Ayana and Scarlet David. This was actually round two after a short break to allow the four to regain their Aura and catch their breath. Among the onlookers are the combat teacher and the Headmistress of Haven herself, taking a sip of tea. The combat teacher was a rather average man named Azuro Fiume with white hair, brown eyes, and wearing armor that looked like a Roman centurion without the helmet. The headmistress' name was Maggio Lago. She was a rather tall woman with tanned skin, blonde hair, and golden eyes. She was clad in a white button-up shirt and a green skirt. She took another sip of her tea and adjusted her glasses.

When Ruby saw Maggio take sips of her tea she thought of Ozpin. _What is it with the headmasters having a thing for drinks? That's really the only question...well besides what awesome weapon she's got!_

"Ok. You guys stay here for a minute. I'll go get her," Neptune said as he quickly walked over to the tan woman. The woman set aside her tea for a moment to let Neptune explain. She turned to Azuro and nodded to him. She received a nod back as the centurion continued to monitor the fight and the headmistress walked over to the four new arrivals.

"So, these are members of team RNJR. I'm not surprised that it's Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren. Yes, I know your names. Both from Ozpin himself and from the tournament," the Headmistress said.

Ruby's eyes were shining like stars at this point. The great Maggio Lago knew her name! Ruby was mentally fangirling.

"So...you know why we're here then?" Lie asked the headmistress.

"I do. You're seeking the ones responsible for what happened in Vale. Neptune here also tells me you have quite the story to tell. I suppose we'll have to decide who tells their story first," the tan skinned huntress gave a light smile to the group.

"We'll go first. Trust me, this story will take a while to explain," Jaune said.

"As will mine. But for now, let's get you a room to rest in. I'm certain we have a vacant room available. Follow me. Oh and Mr. Wukong, Mr. Vasilias? You two still have to fight the next two members of team ABRN."

Maggio turned and motioned for the four members of team RNJR to follow as the monkey Faunus and his partner groaned at the idea. Before they could complain, they heard Azuro clear his throat, standing behind them, arms crossed, and ready to toss them into the ring if need be.

Maggio led the team to the dorm rooms of Haven Academy. Each one was eerily similar to Beacon, bringing back happier memories for all four of them.

"I know you must be getting flashbacks from how similar the rooms are here and at Beacon. Ozpin and I...had similar styles when it came to this," the tanned headmistress, feeling each of the young students look into the dorms that had their doors open. "Ah. Here we are. Room 343."

Team RNJR walks in and sets their bags down, Ruby and Nora jumping down onto their respective beds and letting out relieved sighs.

"Soooooooo soooooooooooft," Nora cooed as she hugged her pillow.

"I second that opinion!" Ruby raised her hand as she did the same.

Jaune and Ren smiled at the girls' appreciation of soft beds and pillows.

A few hours later, the four hunters had fallen asleep in Haven. But once again, they were about to be attacked. From atop the CCT tower of Haven, Mercury, Neo, and Emerald knelt before a hologram of Belail.

"And you're CERTAIN it's just them?" the demon asked.

Neo nodded in response and typed a message into her scroll. [ _Just them my lord. No sign of the Queen at all. Either she's not here like we thought or she's even better at hiding than I am._ ]

"I don't doubt that. I taught her everything she knows of the art of stealth after all. But...in case of either scenario...Emerald. I'm sending you a set of coordinates to your scroll. This will be a rendevous point for you and an entire platoon of soldiers. You are to guard the location with your LIFE. There's some very...important...information there that Cinder will no doubt go after if she hasn't already."

Emerald nodded and said quietly, "Of course...Lord Belail." The green haired girl then sped off after opening a portal using a strange pulsating purple gem and jumping through.

"Neo. With their presence here we will need to speed up the plan. Give the word to the White Fang in the city...the time has come to begin their revolution. Once enough chaos has been caused under your guidance, proceed to Phase Two."

Neo simply smirked and instantly vanished, setting out to do her new master's work.

"And finally...Mercury. I'm putting your skills as an assassin to good use. Your targets: the four brats in room 343. But...you will not be alone in this endeavor. A portal will open shortly with reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? Like I need help with-" Mercury began to boast.

"Do not underestimate them. Four on one WILL lead to your downfall if you try it. Besides...this will be a WONDERFUL field test for Dr. Merlot's latest robotic warrior."

"Ohhhhh Dust not another tin can."

"THIS 'tin can' ,as you call it, will be one of the greatest additions to the Fourth Legion but I MUST see its work."

The portal Belail mentioned earlier opens and through steps three beings. The first bears the familiar armor of a Jaeger, sword included. However he carried himself in an entirely different manner. The way he moved suggested he was a hardened professional, unlike the cocky attitude the previous Jaeger demonstrated.

The next figure to emerge was anything BUT human. The creature did walk on two legs and was vaguely humanoid but aside from that it was a monster. The head of the creature resembled that of a monstrous bat, small eyes, large ears, and even a sort of beard hanging from the creature's chin. It's hands ended in scythe-like claws that were already stained with dried blood.

The third and final figure was the latest creation of Merlot. The android resembled a woman made of metal, a large disk was floating above her back by magnets built into her fram. The android woman's green optics scanned the area, her two companions, and then Mercury. Her HUD showed her all the information she had on all three of them, taken right from Belail's own database. The bat monster was identified as a Katakan,a form of higher vampire from another world. The database also gave her intel on the Jaeger Order and the history Mercury's induction into the Fourth Legion.

"So...I know about the Jaeger there," Mercury began, "but what's up with the robo-chick and Batman over there?"

The Katakan turned to Mercury and hissed at him.

"The creature is a higher vampire. A Katakan to be exact. As for the machine, this is Amaterasu, Doctor Merlot's latest android creation," the Lord of Lies stated.

"Remind me to ask the good doctor about what he DOES in his spare time if he can make robo-women."

Belail gave Mercury a deadpan look which was followed by a facepalm.

"JUST. GET IT. DONE," the demon lord barked at the assassin.

'Relax boss, I've got this."

Belail gave him a skeptical look before the hologram vanished. Mercury turned to his new team and smirked. "Alright then...who's ready to kill some people?"

However, unbeknownst to the would-be assassins, amber eyes watched their every move as a bow of glass formed, arrows at the ready. All that was left for her to do was wait for the right time.

 **(A/N: And thus the next chapter is finally up! Sorry this is late but you know, life can get busy. Especially with schoolwork. This sadly might be how the whole posting schedule might be from now on. Anyway, this will be my first two part-er chapter and I do hope that was a good enough cliffhanger. I think so. Also if nobody got the Witcher reference in the last chapter, it should be seen here with Mercury's new "teammate". As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


	20. Chapter 20: Traitor Part 2

Team RNJR was sleeping soundly in their new room, their weapons at their bedsides in case they had another late night visitor. Of course, they weren't exactly expecting four different attackers.

Mercury was clinging to the ledge of the building, the window of room 343 right above him. The Katakan had dug its claws into the stone and clung above the window. Amaterasu and the new Jaeger were standing on the sides of the window, waiting for the signal. The machine had detached the disk on its back and had it unfold several blades. The swords themselves seemed to be a mix of Merlot's additions and someone else's design. The Jaeger looked down to Mercury who nodded. The demon assassin then produced three strange circular devices with runes written on them and placed them on the window in a line. After pressing the big red buttons on them, the devices and runes began to glow and radiate heat. Soon, the glass began to melt and flow down the side of building. The Jaeger then shimmied over to the open window and silently stepped into the room. Amaterasu extend a hand and pulled Mercury up before entering herself with the grey-haired assassin following. The last to enter was the Katakan, turning invisible before entering. The vampire sniffed the air and lumbered over to Nora's bed.

Mercury looked at the vampire as it stood there licking its lips. He rolled his eyes figuring that this would be like those bad vampire stories Emerald read. He then felt his Scroll vibrate and pulled it out to see information about the Katakan sent to him from Amaterasu. Somehow the robot had figured out what he wanted to ask. Apparently, real vampires were less into biting people's necks and more into ripping them apart and slurping up the mess. Unfortunately for Mercury, this info came complete with pictures.

 _Oooooooookayyyyyyy...that's gross,_ Mercury thought as he saw the image of a Katakan slurping up the crimson mess of blood that he saw was from about five different corpses. He's seen the mess Grimm could make when they killed someone but this was on a whole new level. He quickly put the device away and walked up to the side of Ruby's bed. The silver haired assassin smirked as he remembered that day in the Amity Colosseum. It was just him and her, no oversized scythe, and once he fired a blast at her scroll, no help. She only managed to survive because he thought it better to let her just sit there after seeing the weird robot girl from Atlas ripped apart by the Invincible Girl. Now he'll get to finally kill this pest.

Amaterasu was about walk up to the same bed but stopped when she saw Mercury walk up to it. She then quickly turned on her heel and walked over to the bed Jaune was sleeping in. Her blades began to silently revolve around the disk, going faster and faster. She drew her arm back and waited for the signal to deliver the killing blow.

The Jaeger took position next to Ren's bed and drew his red blade. He stood there for a moment, his eyes darting about Ren's sleeping form to find the right place to thrust blade down into. Where would his blade cause the most pain, the most blood loss, and would make the most satisfying kill? He decided that he would thrust into Ren's neck so he moved his blade right above the spot, the tip of the sword mere inches away.

Mercury turned his head to his three companions and nodded. He was getting ready to kick at Ruby's head, a shot that probably would've taken the sleeping reaper's head off. It would have...if it was ever fired. Before the assassins could make their kills, the sound of glass breaking could be heard, making Mercury turn to try and find the source of the noise. It came from outside. By the time he turned back, a kick connected to his jaw and sent him stumbling back.

"AH DAMN IT!" Mercury shouted. He rubbed his jaw as he heard the sound of machinery moving and transforming, and the signature click of a clip being loaded into a high caliber sniper.

Amaterasu heard Mercury shout and tried to quickly thrust her sawblade down into Jaune's torso only for a quick move from Jaune to knock the blade aside and imbed it into the wall. Amaterasu quickly dislodged the weapon and took a stance, ready to fight the blonde knight. Jaune quickly drew Coreca Mors and got ready as well.

The Jaeger was caught off guard when he heard the sound of impact from a blow to the jaw and didn't notice Ren quickly reach for StormFlower. Before he could turn back to his target, the demonic assassin found himself being riddled with Dust bullets. The armor was thick enough to protect him from any major harm but that didn't mean the barrage didn't affect him. He staggered back as each shot hit him in a different spot, sparking off of his armor. "So there are more of you…how many exactly?" Ren said as he stopped the barrage and got into a combat-ready stance.

The Jaeger grunted as he leveled his blade at Ren in a stance very reminiscent to Adam's and then responded in a deep voice, "Enough to get the job done...human."

The Katakan was surprised by the sudden attack on the leader of its team. Before it could react though, the vampiric creature suddenly felt something tossed over it. It wasn't something tight and course, like the net used to capture it, rather it was soft and smooth. And...white? Whatever it was, the vampire quickly tore through it and screeched. In front of it, stood Nora with her hammer at the ready and her head tilted to the left. "Soooooo guessing your Semblance is invisibility. Cool as that is...I gotta knock some sense into you pal," the redhead said.

If the vampire hadn't been "encouraged" not to talk, it would've said that this person is annoying. It dropped its invisibility and hissed at the girl, claws at the ready. When the creature decloaked, Nora's teal eyes went wide. "Woooooooooooah...hey Ren! You may have gotten a demonic samurai to play with but I'm PRETTY sure I got a vampire! Oh wait...ohhhhhh I don't have garlic, holy water, or stakes. Ah well, guess I need to improvise!"

Internally, the katakan wanted to just scream at this girl for her lack of knowledge on true vampires. Garlic, stakes? This wasn't some novel, this was real life...and the katakan would remind her of that by taking her life away. The monster roared and pounced at Nora, only for it to be smacked out of the window by a single swing from Magnhild. Nora jumped out of the window after it, followed soon by everyone else.

Now, the eight were gathered in Haven's courtyard, ready to properly fight. Enclosed spaces weren't some of their strong suits. The Jaeger quickly glanced to the sky as if looking for something. He then nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied with his search. "I have seen many a warrior die in places...unbecoming of their status...you four have a luxury most don't," he said, "You get to choose where you die...and I must admit...your choice...is a good one."

"You done?" Mercury butted in on the Jaeger's speech.

"I wouldn't expect an assassin to understand how important that kind of choice is...but yes...I am finished."

"Good. Now let's kill these brats."

The four assassins charged the Huntsmen and Huntresses, each assassin taking their original target.

Amaterasu swung her sawblade at Jaune's neck, aiming for decapitation, but the blonde knight quickly dodged the strike and struck at the robot's own neck. The machine blocked it with one of the swords that made up the teeth of her sawblade. Jaune then tried to use his Semblance to increase the power in his blade and swung again but still the blade held. "What is that thing made of?!" he shouted as he narrowly dodged a swing from the machine soldier.

"Tungsten-carbide alloy with traces of titanium," the machine unexpectedly answered in a monotone yet somehow familiar voice. Jaune couldn't dwell on the thought now though, as Amaterasu bashed the weapon against Jaune's face as if doing a shield bash. Fortunately, she didn't try to impale him with the attack. The knight staggered back a bit with the robot closing the distance easily. He quickly brought his shield up as he heard the revving of the saw and blocked it, sparks flying from the shield as Amaterasu tried to cut her way through his defense. Jaune managed to get a stab in at the machine and tried slicing at its midsection. The attack did manage to get Amaterasu off of him but all it did was seemingly make her angry.

Nora wasn't having an easier time with her opponent. The vampire was fast, faster than she could track. It darted around her, going for cheap attacks with its claws, always using hit-and-run tactics. The redheaded Valkyrie swung Magnhild around her in a circle to try and catch the creature at the end of it but despite its inability to speak, it wasn't mindless. The vampire avoided any and all swings Nora made at the creature. "Will you just stand still already?!" Nora shouted out to the monster. Seeing an opportunity, the vampire rushed in and grabbed Nora from behind.

"Woah! Hey! No touching buddy!" the redhead shouted at the vampire. The creature hissed and was ready to bite down on her neck. Despite Nora's struggling, she couldn't escape the Katakan's grasp.

Ren was currently locking blades with the Jaeger. The demon's massive red sword pressing and sparking against the bayonets of StormFlower. The Jaeger removed his blade and kicked Ren away. He quickly closed the distance and delivered a flurry of strikes at Ren. The young Huntsmen was able to either dodge or parry the blows as they came. "I will admit," the Jaeger said as he continued swinging, "your skill is admirable yet you use it for a cause that will bring you down a path that ends in your death at the hands of Belail!"

"Perhaps...perhaps not," Ren responded as he continued to parry the strikes, "but if I die, knowing that Belail will fall because of such a sacrifice and that sacrifice is remembered...that will be enough."

"Humility," the Jaeger swings his blade at Ren's head but it's blocked, "loyalty," the demon tried throwing a right hook to Ren's jaw to stagger him but was stopped when Ren kicked him in the chest, "the skills you possess…yes...you could pass."

"What are you talking about?" Ren said as he blocked another swing from the Jaeger.

"Thanks to you and your comrades...I now have an open position for a new apprentice. Normally I'd have to search long and hard for a new Jaeger...for they would need to be worthy of Belial's grace...but this time...is different. I think I've already found the new Jaeger Initiate."

Meanwhile, Ruby narrowly dodged one of Mercury's shotgun blasts. The grey haired assassin fired a constant barrage of shots to keep Ruby at a distance and to keep her moving. After all, if he could keep her away and constantly moving, she wouldn't be able to attack him. Soon though, he lost track of her, though there was a suspicious group of rose petals falling to the ground. Mercury looked around for a bit until he got kicked in the back by Ruby and sent flying.

"You little BRAT!" Mercury shouted as he stopped himself. He rushed Ruby and delivered a flurry of kicks at the red-cloaked reaper. She managed to duck under and dodge some of them but others connected and hit hard. Ruby, out of reflex, sliced at Mercury's leg but only managed to cut his pant leg, revealing his prosthetic. Her eyes widened in shock a bit as she saw the metal. "Great...thanks for that kid," Mercury sarcastically remarked as he readied another kick. The attack connected with Ruby's chest and sent her flying.

"Gotcha!" the assassin shouted proudly as Ruby went through a wall with a loud crash. He smirked as he ran over to where she made impact, intent on finishing her off before she could recover. A streak of red was easy to spot in the mounds of grey debris. The assassin closed in on his target and aimed at her head. "Well...it's been fun Red but it looks like you don't get your happy ending."

Ruby was still trying to get her bearings when she saw Mercury aiming at her head. Her eyes widened in fear as she realized that all that kept her from joining her mother was one quick blast from this assassin. But before he could put an end to her, Mercury was suddenly kicked in the side of the head by someone and sent flying. Mercury rubbed the side of his head as he got back up to his feet, ready to continue the fight with whoever just kicked him. Except when he looked for his attacker, he saw her.

"Oh crap…" was all Mercury could muster due to the sheer amount of fear he felt because standing in front of him was none other than Cinder Fall herself. Something interesting about her though was that she was currently wearing the outfit she had used during the Vytal Festival, which consisted of grey pants and boots, a beige leather, sleeveless jacket with light-beige details, brown gloves, a sarashi tied around her chest and another around her hips, and a pauldron on her left shoulder, along with a belt with several brown pouches attached to it.

"Guess the boss man was right about you being here," the assassin mumbled, switching back to his usual snarky attitude.

"He must have lost some of his intelligence if he believes you'll succeed in killing her when even I couldn't," the new Fall Maiden retorted as she summoned her two glass blades, resembling Moorish scimitars.

Ruby was still shocked that Cinder had just saved her life. The woman she and her friends were hunting was standing right in front of her, putting herself in harm's way to save her mortal enemy. Maybe Ruby was thinking too much into it and this was just the Fall Maiden's tactical prowess at work. But if it was, then why let her live when Mercury could've rid her of one more annoyance?

"Go," came Cinder's voice interrupting Ruby's thoughts, "Valkyrie needs help with the vampire. Use its hearing against it. Deafen it."

As much as Ruby wanted to argue, Cinder made a good point. From what she remembered, Nora was in the vampire's vice-like grip and couldn't get free.

"Don't think you're getting away again Cinder," the red-cloaked girl said as she got to her feet and ran out to help Nora.

"I don't plan on running little Rose."

"Well it's about time you stopped and faced the music," Mercury retorted as he got ready.

"It was unavoidable...no one can run forever."

"Well you got that right bitch!" the assassin shouted as he rushed his one-time partner. The Fall Maiden rushed towards her one-time subordinate and swung her blades in a sideways arc at his head. Mercury brought his right leg to block the attack and moved the blades to the side. He jumped up and opened fire, launching a barrage of shots at Cinder. The black haired woman swung her blades in multiple directions, slashing the blasts in half. She then deconstructed her swords and used the glass to reform into her bow and three arrows already notched. She pulled back and fired the three at Mercury, the arrows homing in on him as if they were guided, probably by her Aura. Mercury blasted himself further into the air and tried firing at the arrows, ready to shatter them. However, the arrows deconstructed, the shards moving around the blasts, then reforming and striking Mercury. Two of the arrows went right into his prosthetic, shredding the metal and wires and causing sparks and even Dust to spark and leak out of the wound. The third arrow impacts right into Mercury's shoulder. The assassin shouted in pain as he fell to the ground, gripping his shoulder, blood now coating his hand. He grabbed the arrow's shaft and ripped it out of his shoulder, then removed the two arrows in his leg. He slowly got back up on his feet, ready to continue.

Hearing Cinder and Mercury fight, Ruby launched herself at the vampire holding Nora and kicked it in the side of the head. The creature let the girl free, its ears ringing from the impact.

"Thanks for the assist Rubes!" Nora called out, putting a hand to her neck to make sure she wasn't bitten. The redhead sighed in relief as she saw that her hand was clear of any crimson liquid.

"Nora, we need to deafen this thing," the red reaper explained to Nora.

"Cause he's a bat?"

"Yeah."

"Hmmm….I think I got an idea. We need to get that thing to chase us!"

"Ok how?"

"Ha! Let me!"

The Katakan shook its head, finally overcoming the sudden shock when it heard someone call out to it.

"Yoo-hoo! Batman! Over here!" Nora shouted, "Come on, you call yourself a vampire? You're just like any other Grimm I've killed! Only thing special about you is that you can go invisible! And even then people can still do that with Semblances! If you're really a vampire you'da killed us by now!" Nora was just taunting the vampire at this point, trying to get it angry. The taunting was complete when she turned around and slapped her rear while shouting, "An ACTUAL bat is scarier than you!"

That was it. The Katakan snapped and roared in outrage and as it rushed Nora and Ruby.

"Awesome! Step one worked! Now for step two: run like hell!"

"Already on it!" Ruby said as she grabbed Nora and pulled her after her, activating her Semblance.

"Wheeeeeeee!" the redhead shouts as the two Huntresses speed off, the Katakan right behind them.

The two of them had managed to get ahead of the Katakan, though they were certain it had still followed them. "Ok stop!" Nora shouted and Ruby came to sudden stop, letting a torrent of rose petals blow past them. The redhead looks around and then smiles, running over to something. The red-cloaked reaper followed her in curiosity because she wasn't informed of the rest of the plan.

"Ok so!" Nora started excitedly, "you said we need to deafen it right?"

"Yeah."

"Welllll how about we use this?" the redhead smirked as she gestured to the giant bronze bell behind her. It was actually a gift from Vacuo at the end of the Great War and was actually very well preserved. "I lure that thing over here, you're hiding behind the bell and once that thing's in range, ring it. Oh and I'm gonna do something I haven't really done here. You get to use Magnhild!" Nora smiled. Ruby's jaw dropped at that. Nora didn't really let anyone use Magnhild in a fight that wasn't herself. Sure she'd get help from Ren or Pyrrha for maintenance but never actually let them use it. The young reaper's shocked expression then formed into a smile and her eyes shined.

"This is going to be awesome," Ruby said gleefully.

About five minutes pass, and the Katakan has reached the area where the bell is located. Almost instantly, it picks up Nora's scent and turns its head to see her just standing there, her hands on her hips and smirking as if she's already won. The monster lowered itself, quickly slicing its claws against the stone walkway, sharpening them and sending sparks flying.

"That's right," Nora mumbled, "I'm right here so come and get me."

The vampire didn't waste any more time and pounced at Nora, its claws extended and its fangs bared. The redhead smirked as she rolled under the leaping creature. "NOW!"

Ruby smiled as she took Magnhild and struck the bell. The ringing was loud enough to have awoken every single Huntsman and Huntress on the campus grounds. If the red reaper didn't know any better, she'd say the ringing reached all the way to the city. The Katakan was also being affected, just as planned. The creature's claws were clasped around its head, specifically the ears, trying to block out the sound but it didn't work. The vampire's skull felt like it was being smashed by a hundred hammers at once, or worse a hundred jackhammers. Ruby hit the bell again, making the vampire's condition worse. It's vision began to blur and its ears even began to bleed. Seeing the chance, Ruby gripped Crescent Rose with her other hand and fired two shots into the legs of the Katakan, blowing them clean off. The blood of the creature splattered on the stone path as it fell over with a loud crash.

"Nora! Catch!" Ruby shouted as she threw Magnhild back to its rightful owner. The redhead catches her weapon and grins. She moves closer to the Katakan and before it can react, she brings the hammer down on its head, killing it.

"Well I guess we got rid of the bat infestation in Haven's belfry!" Nora said with a smile as she saw lights flicker on in pretty much every room's window. "And look! We even get some back-up to deal with the others!"

Back with Jaune and Ren, both of their opponents look around as the bell tolls, looking confused; the two Huntsmen looking just as confused.

"What is…," the Jaeger began before he saw all the lights turning on.

"Our backup," Ren said confidently.

"You understand that this isn't over."

"I know...but in the end only one of us is going to be left because I know for a fact that I will NEVER join Belail's ranks."

The Jaeger remained silent for a while before letting out a deep grunt and responded, "We will see if that holds true when it matters most." The assassin then kicked Ren away and jumped back, making his way over to where Mercury was.

Amaterasu quickly did the same thing after headbutting Jaune.

Cinder was ready to charge at Mercury one last time with the intention of taking his head but before she could, the mechanical and demonic assassins rejoined their leader.

"Commander Black, we need to go," the Jaeger said, sheathing his blade.

"What? Why? I got this bitch right where I want her!" the silver-haired assassin retorted with fake confidence.

"Now is not the time for false bravado. In minutes, this area will be crawling with Huntsmen. She has us outmatched and outnumbered. We must escape while we have time."

Mercury looked back and forth between Cinder and the Jaeger until finally he cursed under his breath but nodded. "Alright...let's go." The demonic assassin nodded and opened a portal after unsheathing his sword and slicing the air in a downwards arc. Amaterasu jumped through first, followed by the Jaeger. Mercury gave one last glare to Cinder before he jumped through too.

Soon, Nora and Ruby rejoined Jaune and Ren, who were currently talking to Azzuro about what had happened.

"We're not done yet," Ruby interjected as she readied her sniper, "Jaune...she's here. Cinder's here."

Jaune's eyes widened in shock at those words and that name. The look of shock turned into one of determination and said, "Where?"

Ruby motioned to the where she was kicked through a wall by Mercury.

"Cinder?" Haven's combat instructor asked.

"The one behind the death of Pyrrha Nikos...and the one who brought down Beacon."

Azzuro didn't need to hear anything else. He drew his sword and readied and his shield, leading the other four to face Cinder. However, when they got there, they were greeted with the oddest sight. Cinder was just...sitting there, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Like I said before," the Fall Maiden spoke up, "I don't plan on running anymore." The dark haired woman got to her feet, and put her arms out in front of her. Ruby had to do a double take on this. Everyone else was just as confused though Jaune and Azzuro didn't let it show.

The Fall Maiden sighed, "Must I actually say it? Oh very well. Ruby Rose, I surrender to you."

 **(A/N: I'm back everyone! About 3 months have passed between chapters due to lack of motivation, busy life, exams, and just...everything that could get in the way of a story did...except for writer's block. BUT! I managed to get it done! Chapter 20! Now hopefully this doesn't happen again...key word being hopefully. Well anyway! As always, read, review, and enjoy!)**


	21. Chapter 21: Secrets and Rembrances

After her voluntary surrender, it didn't take long for Cinder to feel special Aura-cancelling handcuffs clamp around her wrists. One of the other Huntsmen who had arrived, after being told of Cinder's past actions, even suggested to put a muzzle on her to "dull her silver tongue." Cinder's reply to this was rolling her eyes while saying, "Is that really necessary?"

Fortunately for her, even Azzuro saw that as going a bit far. The combat instructor nudged Cinder in the back with his shield and she started walking. True, Haven lacked an actual prison but she could be kept in one of the empty dorm rooms for now. All that needed to be done was barring the windows and door which was fortunately an easy fix. Azzuro stood guard outside Cinder's cell for the rest of the night, telling everyone else that the situation would be sorted in the morning.

If anyone was excited about this, it was team RNJR. They'd done it. They finally captured Cinder. True, they all knew it was a premature celebration, what with Belail and the Fourth Legion still being out there but this was still a victory. Jaune couldn't wait for morning because once everything was done, he was coming right back here to get some payback on her. Pyrrha's murderer was going to finally face justice but there was still something he and Ruby needed to do first.

When the sun finally rose over Mistral, after what felt like forever, Nora…still wanted to sleep. It took the smell of pancakes from Haven's cafeteria to rouse the redhead.

"Sleeping in today Nora?" Ren said with a smile as he handed his partner her favorite breakfast food.

"Can you blame me for sleeping in? We just fought a vampire, a robot, a demon, an assassin, AND managed to capture Cinder! I mean yeah she DID surrender but...still it counts as a win! A...VERY exhausting win...but a win's a win right?" she said with a smile to her partner who could only smile back. She then took the pancakes and began eating. "Still not better than yours though," Nora said between bites, referring to the pancakes of course.

"Hey, where are Jaune and Ruby?" Nora said after she finished, noticing that both of their packs were gone.

"They went out...to find them. Once they're done, all four of us are going into Cinder's room to question her," Ren said matter-of-factly.

"And to keep Jaune from immediately trying to kill her. I mean yeah she deserves it ten times over but she does know more about the Fourth Legion than we do right now. Doesn't mean we can't play good cop, bad cop though."

"Let me guess...you're the bad cop?"

"Yep! The role just fits me you know?" the redhead giggled.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Jaune were walking through the city. Jaune held a map in his hands with an address circled in red.

"Ok so...we are currently on…," the blonde knight started as he looked at the map, "Bacchus Avenue. So that means when we come to the next intersection we take a left down Phobos Street then another left to Eos Street and then a right to Apollo Street."

"Um...I think you're looking at it wrong. That's the route to Olympus Square. We need to take a left at Eos then we're at Apollo," Ruby chimed in, pointing at the map.

"Oh. Yeah you're right," Jaune corrected himself as he looked at the map again.

"Jaune...are you SURE you're ready for this?"

"Yes...yes I'm sure. There needs to be some kind of...closure. With the CCTs down...no one would have anyway of knowing about the casualties from Vale. So...we need to bring them the news as...as hard as that is."

Ruby could only nod in response as they kept walking. The two of them had no time for sightseeing, despite how beautiful the city looked.

After a few more minutes of walking, the two had finally reached the address circled on Jaune's map: 5681 Apollo Street. The house that was before was a bit larger than most of the other houses but not by much. It followed the same style of architecture many of the other homes did in the city. It was made mostly of brick, painted red, with a chimney on the roof. On the second and third floors, balconies extended off of the front of the building.

"Well...this is the place," Jaune said as he put the map away. He and Ruby walked up to the oaken door with a golden knocker. The blonde knight quickly took a deep breath before reaching for the knocker and beating it against the door three times, making deep thuds each time.

Only a minute passed before the door opened. Before the two members of team RNJR stood a woman in her late 40s or early 50s. Her red hair was at most shoulder length and tied into a ponytail. She wore a normal tan, short sleeved shirt, blue jeans, heeled boots and two emerald, teardrop shaped earrings.

"Yes?" she said as she opened the door.

"Mrs. Nikos I presume?" Jaune spoke up.

"Oh! Mr. Arc! I wasn't expecting you here!"

"You...know me?"

"Of course. Pyrrha's sent countless letters about her time at Beacon, especially her team. Even had some photos attached!"

Jaune could only muster a small sad smile hearing that. "May we come in?"

"Of course! Of course!"

The blonde knight could only curse himself for what he needed to do next. He walked into the Nikos Residence with Ruby following close behind. After Ruby had introduced herself to Mrs. Nikos, the two were shown into the living room which had an ornate fireplace with a painting on the brick wall above the oaken mantle.

"Is Mr. Nikos at home?" Jaune asked.

"No, I'm afraid not. Theseus is still teaching some extra time at Sanctum right now. Normally, we'd both be teaching but today's a day off. Why?"

Jaune sighs as he reaches into his pack.

"Mrs. Nikos," the blonde knight begins, "there's...there's no easy way to say this," he finally finds what he was looking for and places a bronze circlet on the glass coffee table, the teardrop shaped emeralds clinking as he carefully places it down and continues, "I'm sorry."

"Mrs. Nikos...I…," Ruby tried to say that she blames herself for what happened but Jaune put a hand on her shoulder as if to say it's not your fault.

"She….she's...g-gone?" Mrs. Nikos began as she took hold of Pyrrha's circlet, the meaning of the lone circlet and Jaune's words hitting her like a truck, tears welling up in her green eyes.

"Yes...she...she was an amazing person, Mrs. Nikos, one of the best Huntresses I'd ever met. I'm honored to have been her partner at Beacon."

"My little girl...Pyrrha…," Mrs. Nikos weakly said as she began sobbing, bringing her hands up to her face to hide the tears streaming down her face. Ruby got up from her seat and hugged the grieving woman. At this point, the red-hooded girl could feel tears welling up in her own silver pools. She wanted to say that it was her fault that Pyrrha was killed but no matter how hard she tried to bring herself to say it, she kept imagining Jaune telling her otherwise. She kept hearing in her head that the only person to blame was Cinder. She wanted to believe it, in fact she somewhat did. There was just a small lingering voice in the back of her mind that kept whispering, "I failed to save her."

"We...we should call your husband," Ruby finally managed to say as she wiped some of the tears from her own eyes. Mrs. Nikos could only nod in response as she brought her hands down and reached for her Scroll to call her husband.

She dialed in the numbers and waited for a few minutes as it rang. Finally, he answered.

"Hello?" Theseus Nikos said from Sanctum.

"T-theseus..., y-you need...you need to come home...n-now," Mrs. Nikos said, her voice wavering.

"Phaedra, what's wrong?" Mr. Nikos said, concern creeping up in his voice hearing his wife's voice so shaky.

"I...it'll...it'll b-be better...if you come h-home first, honey."

"I'm on my way. I'll be there in ten."

Those ten minutes seem to be more like ten hours until finally, they heard Theseus Nikos open the door and hurry into the room. The man wore a simple brown undershirt with a tan tunic on top of it with folds on either side to help it conform to body shape.(A/N: Think of it like a Jedi tunic from Star Wars)First, he saw Ruby and Jaune, almost instantly recognizing the blonde knight from his the letters and pictures his daughter sent from Beacon. Before he could ask what's going on, his wife quickly got up and embraced him, crying into his shoulder.

"She's gone, Theseus...our little Pyrrha's gone…," was all that Phaedra could say between sobs.

The man's eyes widened in shock as he heard what was just said and as soon as his eyes focused on the circle resting on the glass table, he knew they were true. All he could do was grieve and comfort his wife.

About an hour later, Ruby and Jaune were back at Haven, and, having already joined back up with Ren and Nora, headed over to the impromptu prison cell that held Cinder. Though, Nora thought that the dorm room was far too nice to be described as a cell.

When the group arrived, Azzuro nodded and opened the door for them. Before, he had tried to interrogate Cinder himself and report back to Maggio with what he found. Instead of Cinder being cooperative, she just sat on the dorm bed in complete silence. He had tried for two hours to get her to speak and nothing, until she spoke of her own will. It wasn't anything that useful though, only that she would talk to Ruby Rose, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren.

Cinder was reclining in the bed, her eyes closed but she wasn't sleeping. She could hear the lock turn and the door's hinges move open. Her lips formed into a smile as she heard four people walk into her room, followed by the door closing behind them.

"How nice to see you all again," Cinder cooed, as she sat up in the bed, her amber eyes opening and focusing on the four people who had come so far just to see her put behind bars.

"Don't talk to us like we're your friends," Jaune snapped at Cinder in an unfamiliar and restrained anger.

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' Jaune?"

"I have...but that doesn't really apply when that so called 'friend' is an insane pyromaniac who MURDERED one of my closest friends and someone who...who…"

"Who loved you. Right?"

Jaune quickly reached for Coreca Mors in an uncharacteristic display of fury but Ren put a hand on his shoulder, which told him to stop and calm down. The blonde knight released his grip on the hilt of the blade and let out a sigh.

"So!" Nora said, suddenly getting very close to Cinder, which actually startled the Fall Maiden a bit, only because of how unexpected it was. "We know you know them! We know that you did something to make them want to kill you! And we know...well...actually that's all we do know."

The Fall Maiden cocked an eyebrow at the redhead's ranting and use of the pronoun game. There was a long list of people who wanted her dead. One of them was standing right in front of her after all.

"She means, what do you know about the Fourth Legion?" Ren answered calmly.

"Ah, of course. You see Jaune? The saying still holds true," the Fall Maiden's lips formed into a smile as she spoke.

"Just...tell...us…," Jaune spoke, doing his best to keep his anger under control.

"First, I'll need my pack. Roof of this building, near one of the vents."

"Do we LOOK like Emerald or Mercury?"

Now, it was Cinder's turn to contain her anger. "Despite...what you may think...I DID care for them. They only acted the way they did out of respect. They were...valuable allies. I would've kept them with me as long as possible. Once everything was done...well...I would figure something out. Belail, on the other hand, would torture them, slit their throats and bleed them dry, and then toss their CORPSES to a hungry Druk at his earliest convenience!"

"A Druk?" Nora asked, tilting her head to the side.

"It's the name of a type of draconic Grimm. Essentially a sea dragon," Ren explained.

"Ooooooooh."

"Just...get the pack for me...and I'll explain everything I know. Do I need to say please as well?"

"I'll get it," Ren said as he walked out of the room and explained to Azzuro where he was going.

"So, how do you know the Legion?" Ruby asked the Fall Maiden.

"Oh trust me...my relation with the Legion was...intimate...at a time. That all changed one month after Beacon's fall. When Belail screwed up one of his biggest lies, one he'd been keeping up for years. I suppose...in that regard...Belail and Ozpin are somewhat similar," Cinder retorted.

"Ozpin is not the SAME as Belail! Not in any way!" Ruby protested.

"And yet here you are, still completely clueless as to the origin of my abilities. And...that machine. All thanks to Ozpin's lie."

Jaune froze. In all this time, he had never told Nora, Ren, or even Ruby about the machine and the vault beneath Beacon. He wanted to try and make sense of it first...and after four months, he hadn't even come close.

"What machine?" Ruby asked the amber-eyed woman.

"Oh my. You never told them Jaune? And here I am believing that teammates share ALL their secrets."

Before Ruby or Nora could ask, Ren came back with Cinder's pack, tossing it over to the amber-eyed woman. She gestured to her restraints, silently asking if they could be temporarily deactivated. Seeing no other option at the moment, Ren reluctantly turned them off. The Fall Maiden then began to empty the contents of her pack; among them were several Dust canisters, canisters Ruby recognized from when she fought Cinder during the second semester dance, a stack of photographs tied together with a rubber band, a large piece of blank paper that could be used to make a map, several thumbtacks, sticky-notes, and provisions.

She grabbed the large paper and four thumbtacks and hung the sheet on the right wall of the room. The amber-eyed girl then grabbed the stack of photos and hung them across the sheet, making connections to the various pictures.

In just a few short minutes, after Cinder was finished, Nora was convinced that before she became a villainous pyromaniac, Cinder Fall was a conspiracy theorist. The only response from Cinder was an annoyed roll of the eyes. The sheet had now become the base for a web of connections, sticky-notes with information, and even some locations.

"These...are all the connections that I KNOW Belail has," the Fall Maiden said as she backed away from her handiwork. "Speaking of the bastard...this is him," she sneered as she pointed to the central picture of the massive web. The man seemed to be in his late 30s perhaps earlier. His brown eyes were looking to the side of him but the picture was cut, taking away whatever he was looking at and he looked...happy. Not exactly how team RNJR imagined a demonic warlord, even if he was in human form.

From that central photo, one of the web's strands connected to the photo of the demon that first tried to take team RNJR's life: Razael Ignis. Next to it was a sticky note with all the relevant information on the demon in human clothing including his rank and the phrase "first member of unofficial triumvirate."

"I take it you remember your old friend Razael. And...my old subordinates…" Cinder's amber eyes narrowed at the pictures of Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, Neopolitan, and Adam Taurus. Adam himself was listed as many things on the note next to his image including White Fang liaison, field commander of White Fang forces, and the second in command of the Fang. Connected to Adam's picture, was only a sticky note with the information of the leader of the White Fang, Sienna Kahn. There was a picture of Roman Torchwick on the web as well, connected to Neopolitan, but it had a massive red X drawn over it with a sticky note next to it reading "deceased".

Another strand connected to a picture labeled "Vitallion Styx". He was labeled as "Admiral" and "second member of unofficial triumvirate". The third member was obviously Belail. Other strands were connected to a symbol of Merlot Industries and its CEO, a symbol Cinder had made for the Grimm that was essentially an artistic render of the Grimm Dragon from Vale with its wings outstretched and the symbols of the Four Kingdoms, even the banner of Menagerie. Belail's targets. Not even the Faunus nation was safe from him.

"Belail has his claws in every major nation in some way. Garrisons, outposts, the White Fang….all of them are his tools. I know one of his outposts like the back of my hand. If we can get the Headmistress to agree...I can get you there."

"We don't really have a choice in trusting you...do we?" Jaune said, disgust present in his voice.

"Unless you want a repeat of Vale but ten times worse...then no, you don't."

"Um...this is probably a stupid question but uh...how would it be worse?" Nora asked hesitantly.

"Easy. If you compared my attack to something Belail would do...it'd be like comparing a riot...to a war."

Meanwhile, in Haven Tower, the elevator dinged and its doors opened to Maggio's office. The headmistress looked at the holographic screens hovering just above her desk and sighed. On one screen, there were the images of Amber and Cinder Fall, the previous and current Fall Maidens respectively. On another, was an image of the still-frozen Dragon, clinging to Beacon Tower. On a third, were the profiles of the four students who came all the way from Vale. She was broken from her concentration as she heard someone step out of the elevator.

"So, I guess it's time huh?" the person, clearly a woman, said as she walked up to the desk.

"I was...hoping this time would never come but…," Maggio began.

"Well...the world always goes through a change in season. Isn't that what you always say?"

"I know but...it's justified for me to be worried about this…."

"I know...I know...but I promise...nothing's going to happen. Fall may have changed hands for the worse...but nothing's gonna happen to Spring."

 **(A/N: And here we go! So, just tossing in my name for that new Sea Dragon Grimm. The Druk. It's the "thunder dragon" from Bhutanese mythology. It shares the common traits of the Eastern style dragons but as always, the wings on it make it a bit difficult since no eastern dragon I know of has wings. Anyway! Next time, we meet the Spring Maiden herself, team RNJR, Cinder, and another team, possible SSSN or even ABRN, will be heading out to the first of Belail's outposts in Mistral. Nothing could go wrong before they go or while they're on their way right? As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


	22. Chapter 22: Baring Their Fangs

Several hours ago,the team of assassins returned to the demonic fortress of Dis. When Belail had heard from Mercury that Cinder had shown up in Haven, it didn't surprise him. What did surprise him was how she had revealed herself. True, she had saved team RNJR before when Razael and his forces were breathing down their necks but surely she had another goal. Surely, she meant to kill Razael and weaken the ground forces of the Fourth Legion. A simple, yet effective strategy and, couple that with a rain of explosive arrows, it would've been possible to eliminate her human pursuers as well. And yet here she was, offering herself up to the wolves.

"I suppose desperation has changed you...hasn't it Cinder?" the Lord of Lies chuckled to himself as he mused on Mercury's report, sitting on his obsidian throne. His train of thought was interrupted by a sharp pain piercing his left arm. His eyes widened at the sudden burning and, though he instinctively grabbed it, only one thing was going to ease it. With a quick motion, he took off the black glove that covered his left arm and rolled up the sleeve of his suit. Belail then pressed a rune on the right armrest of his throne, bringing up a rack of syringes from the side of it. He quickly took one, jabbed it into his arm, and let out a relieved sigh as he injected himself with the serum. The pain soon subsided and his gauntlet reformed once he had removed the needle.. When this first started happening, Belail had to constantly remind himself that all victories needed sacrifices. Normally, it was the sacrifice of life that came to his mind but now it was time for his sacrifice. This was no surprise to the demon; it had been happening ever since he fully mastered the writings in those tomes. Merlot was clever enough to find a way to halt the progress, even reset it completely but he couldn't stop it. Without this serum, Belail's reign would be over before it began.

The doors to the throne room opened as Razael stepped through, his armored boots thudding on the stone floor with every step. He took a knee in front of Belail and spoke.

"My lord, Neopolitan has reported in. The White Fang in Mistral are ready to begin," the Warmaster said calmly.

Belail grinned and tossed the syringe aside, turning it to dust with a glyph that appeared around it.

"Excellent. I assume the requisition was met as well?" the Lord of Lies questioned.

"Of course my lord. Special mask and all. He was more than happy to get one for her."

"Good. Then it's time the Faunus bare their Fangs."

In Haven, the members of team RNJR and Cinder had entered the lobby for the CCT tower. Cinder smirked as she remembered the night of the dance at Beacon. If she was being honest, it actually was a rather enjoyable evening. Her dance partner may have not been the one she wanted but again, still enjoyable. Who knew assassins could be such good dancers? There were also quite a few broken bodies left in her wake but that was a detail that didn't need to be brought up.

"So, where exactly is this...outpost you mentioned?" Ren asked as he pushed the button to call the elevator down to the ground floor.

"First off, it's not so much a military outpost...as it is a private retreat. A little property he bought under one of his alliances. Of course, there are a few...undocumented additions. Second off, I think it'd be best if I told the headmistress and you at the same time. Saves me the time of explaining it again," the amber-eyed woman said, crossing her arms.

"Wait...so...it's basically a mansion?" Nora asked.

"If...you want to call it that. Though by now, he's probably turned it into a garrison. Fortified it."

The elevator doors opened after the high-pitched _ding_ sounded and the five them walked in. Jaune was still on edge around Cinder. Well, more on edge than everyone else. His hand was tightly gripping the hilt of Coreca Mors, his eyes completely focused on Cinder. One wrong move from her, and he would end her.

The ride up was...awkward, to say the least. No one said a word the whole time. Jaune and Ren both kept their eyes trained on Cinder. Nora was quietly humming along to the tune of the music played over the speakers. Ruby was just waiting for the ride to end. Cinder was starting to get annoyed at Jaune and Ren staring at her like she was some sort of cornered Grimm. She knew those looks were probably earned, but that still didn't stop it from annoying her.

"You know...it's impolite to stare. Especially at a woman. She might get the wrong idea," the Fall Maiden said with a hint of what sounded like seduction.

Jaune was about to respond but the elevator soon stopped, opening it's doors to the office of Haven's headmistress. Maggio took a sip of her tea and adjusted her glasses as the five walked in. But the headmistress wasn't alone. Next to her was a woman about the same age as Coco Adel, so around 18 or 19. She wore a simple green tube top, brown fingerless gloves with green trims, simple brown shorts, and sandals. Her hair was short, giving one a full view of her brown eyes, and had the tips dyed green.

"Professor Lago," Ren said, giving a polite bow to the woman.

"Everyone...before we begin, let me introduce my daughter, Juno," Haven's headmistress, motioning to the woman beside her, who gave a quick wave hello to everyone.

"Now...which one of us goes first?" Cinder said, getting a glare from Maggio.

"Well if you want to wai-," the Fall Maiden began, sarcasm dripping from her words, but was cut off by Maggio.

"I...will go first. Tell me...all of you, what is your favorite fairy tale?" the professor asked.

"Our...favorite fairy tales?" Ruby asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

Cinder rolled her eyes and mumbled, "You sound like Ozpin right now…"

"I...don't really see how it's relevant...but...if I had to honestly choose...probably the Wolf Knight," Ren said, remembering the tail of a valiant knight who gave everything he had, even his life, to protect his companion, a lone wolf pup, from the tide of darkness and the Grimm that followed.

"Oh yeah...I remember you reading that to me when we were kids...that was such a sad story," Nora said in response.

"I...can't really decide," Ruby said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Same," Jaune answered.

"I see," the headmistress began, "Tell me...what about the story of the Four Seasons?"

"Oooooh, I remember that one! Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall visit an old guy in the woods right?" Nora chimed in.

"Yes, that's the one. Now...what if I told you that wasn't fantasy...but fact?"

"Huh?" the four said in unison.

"She's right," Juno spoke up, "the story's true. The Maidens are real."

"And now, the curtain's removed," Cinder said triumphantly.

"Don't act so high and mighty Cinder," Juno glared at the Fall Maiden.

"Why shouldn't I? Now they see why my words were true."

"As...you've probably guessed...Cinder's power isn't entirely dependent on her Semblance," Maggio said, adjusting her glasses, "She is...the new Fall Maiden."

"So...then…," Jaune began.

"Yes, Arc," Cinder cooed, "the woman in the machine was my predecessor."

"Wait...what machine?" Ren turned to Jaune.

"It...it was...during the battle. Remember how...me and Pyrrha left and went with Professor Ozpin?"

Ren and Nora nodded, remembering how bizarre that was.

"Well...when...when we left...Ozpin...took us BENEATH the school. It was...it was like a vault and...in the middle of it...was this...machine with...a girl inside. Pyrrha...actually got into it and…"

"He was trying to transfer the power," Cinder interrupted, "He tried to keep the power of the Fall Maiden out of my hands, and by extension...Belail's. Of course, he never knew who was ACTUALLY in charge. All this time...it was assumed I was the mastermind."

Maggio sighed and said, "She's right. The Maiden's power...is transferred upon the previous Maiden's death. When that happens...it's either a gambol as to who inherits the powers…"

"Or whoever's in the last thoughts of the Maiden," Juno finished.

"And, in Amber's case, the last person would've been her attacker...had I actually just KILLED her instead of taking the powers."

"That was still...never figured out. You STOLE the power of Fall and yet...Amber would've still been alive. In a coma, yes, but alive. How did you DO that?"

"You can thank Belail for that. He used one of the Tomes of Salem to make it. You don't need to worry about it anymore though. He only made one."

"Wait…," Jaune interrupted, "you're saying...Ozpin wanted to make Pyrrha the Fall Maiden?"

"Yes. I voiced my disapproval of the idea, of course. We had no idea what would happen. The Maiden power, while not entirely Semblance based, is still tied to the Aura of the individual, but more akin to magic than Semblance. The machine Ozpin was using was made by Atlas scientists and provided by James Ironwood. But it was a prototype. Untested. Ozpin was basically going to transfer Amber's Aura into Pyrrha. Essentially...Pyrrha would have had two souls inside of her: her own and Amber's. A number of things could've happened if the process worked, each undesirable. But...these are just guesses. At best...she would've simply acquired memories that weren't hers. Flashes of someone else's life."

"And...at worst?" Jaune questioned hesitantly.

"...Amber's soul could have completely overridden Pyrrha's."

"What?!" the four said in unison.

"I told Ozpin it was too great a risk. He agreed but...he said that desperate times called for desperate measures. He told me it wouldn't be forced on her; he said he would give her a choice. A choice she needed to make by the end of the Vytal Festival. I can't imagine the emotional stress she must have gone through with that looming over her…"

"All that time...and she never said…," Ren mumbled as he remembered the day before Pyrrha's singles-round right in the tournament. She seemed so distracted and...now he knew why. The tournament was almost over and she only had a few short days left to decide.

"Now that that's done...it's time to focus on the task at hand," Cinder said bluntly, "Dealing with Belail. I need a map."

Maggio turned to Juno and nodded. The woman pressed a few buttons on the desk and brought up a holographic map of Mistral.

"Ok...Belail's personal retreat is in the marshes outside the city of Kuchinashi. It's a three story building, about the size of any corporate CEO's mansion. It has what you'd expect of a place like this, 8 bedrooms, a private study and library, a sparring room with forging equipment, an indoor archery range, kitchen, the list goes on."

"How did Belail even manage to get the money for a place like that?" Nora asked as she heard Cinder list off everything.

"Honestly, I never asked but with all the sources I've shown you, is it that hard to believe? He probably used some of the funding from Merlot. Anyway...the retreat does have standard security measures. A network of cameras around the perimeter and inside the building. The cameras themselves are also connected to several strategically placed turrets. It's not Atlas tech, so the Black Queen Virus is out of the picture. He would've had Merlot upgrade the firewalls anyway if it did. By now, the bastard probably has troops stationed there. At least a company, at most a battalion of both White Fang grunts and Fourth Legion soldiers."

"250 to 800 troops...for an estate?" Maggio asked.

"The estate houses an offsite database on the third floor. It wouldn't have any of his recent activities...but it'll still have what we need. We also need to hit his private study. Get any intel we can."

"So then how do you suggest we get close?" Juno asked, crossing her arms.

"Going in by land or by water is going to be tricky. Belail's no doubt got patrols and sniper nests on land. In the water, he'll still have sniper nests...but he'll also have Sobeks, Aals, and Salamandras lurking in the water."

"He'll HAVE Grimm listen to him and NOT eat his snipers?"

"All of his major officers have a way to command them. Something he learned from the Tomes of Salem. It's a kind of brand on their left hand. Any Grimm they encounter, they can brand. Any Grimm they brand, they can control."

"So how do we get in?"

"We go in by the water. The sniper nests would be spread out far enough to give us plenty of ways to get through. After that we just need to deal with the Grimm if they get in our way….which they probably will."

"And I take it you ALSO have a plan to get to the database and study?"

"Of course I do. I was RAISED the-..." the amber-eyed woman stopped herself before she brought back the memories.

"You...were RAISED there?" Ruby asked.

"...It's not important. Look...we'll...we'll need boats. I assume you can get us some?" she said focusing back on Maggio.

"I can," the Headmistress said.

Meanwhile, on a rooftop in the city, Neo was overlooking the city along with her new friend from the Fang. She, herself, wasn't clad in her normal attire but instead she wore a version of the White Fang's standard uniform: a sleeveless combat jacket half colored pink, brown pants, with the standard combat boots and metal foot guards. In her hand, was a specially made Grimm mask. It resembled the crested head of a Salamandra if one looked at the Grimm from above. The crest curved down and would be next to her cheeks if she were wearing it.

"Cheer up love," her companion said in an British accent. The man was about a head shorter than Adam's Lieutenant and wore a black overcoat, boots, gloves, and pants. On his right arm, was a massive industrial tool. It was once used to to drive railway spikes into the ground but now it had been repurposed into a deadly weapon. His face was covered by a full Grimm mask much like Adam's Lieutenant's but the marks were different, almost looking like a sinister grin, his Faunus trait, a pair of dog ears, was covered by a black top hat. "I thought you liked causin' a bit of a ruckus?"

Neo sighed and took her out Scroll. She tapped away at the keys and showed him the message she typed up.

[ _It just...feels weird...without him being here to enjoy it too. Y'know?_ ]

"Ya mean Torchwick?"

She nodded sadly.

"Then let's dedicate this one to the bugger. May the gods have mercy upon his wicked soul. You should get goin' love. You got a ship to steal."

The short woman nodded again, placed the masked on her face, and vanished. Her companion put a hand to his ear, turning on the ear piece radio he had.

"Alright lads! Are all teams in position?"

"Team 1, in position," a male lizard Faunus said with a team of about 40 other White Fang soldiers,each one armed with an A-44 Argent Assault Rifle-one of the Fourth Legion's weapons-, and waiting in the sewers beneath Olympus Square. .

"Team 2, ready," a female cat Faunus responded as she donned her Grimm mask, with another team of 20 waiting in one of the alleys next to a shop in the square, armed with demonic shotguns, the H-11.

"Team 3, locked and loaded. Give the word boss," a male boar Faunus said, hefting a G-980 LMG, the demons' heavy firepower.

Four more calls of affirmation came in, including one from Neo's team.

"Alright then lads! It's time for Jack to let'er RIP!" the White Fang officer shouted.

On cue, the first team of Faunus planted a charge on the manhole cover, got back, and detonated it.

Panicked screams filled the air as the White Fang teams began their attack.

"DOWN WITH THE HUMANS! FOR THE WHITE FANG!" the soldiers shouted, barely audible above the constant gunfire. Civilians were being shot and falling over left and right. They were either lying there before a White Fang soldier executed them or were already gone before they hit the ground. Bodies littered the square in only a few minutes, blood pooling up beneath them.

As soon as the firing started, the city alarm went off.

In Haven Tower, the alert came up, showing the slaughter in Olympus Square.

"The White Fang," Juno glared at the holographic screens, showing the massacre of innocent civilians.

"He's making his move," Cinder said.

"We have to stop them!" Ruby shouted.

"No, we need to go to Kuchinashi, which is already a two day trip. This is just a distraction. Belail wants to keep us busy. He'll probably find a way to make it impossible to get to the database!"

"But if we don't more innocent people will die!"

"They're casualties of war Rose! They aren't the first and they won't be the last! That's how war WORKS! People DIE! Innocent or guilty! We need to head to the retreat NOW!"

"You may not care about innocent people dying but WE do! We're Huntresses and Huntsmen! It's our JOB to defend them! We're going to the city first! Come on guys! Let's go!" the crimson-cloaked leader said, rushing to the elevators, followed by her teammates.

"I'm going with you!" Juno said as she pressed a button to call the next elevator. "I'll meet you in the city! I need to get my weapon!"

Cinder could only sigh in annoyance and had little choice but to go with them. "Idiots. This is a war, where we're at a disadvantage, and we're out saving civilians."

"Of course. You wouldn't understand though. You caused a mass panic with Vale after all," Juno retorted.

"Like I said, this is war and you need to start thinking like soldiers."

"We're not Atlas."

"Well maybe you should take some lessons from them."

When the elevator doors opened, team RNJR bolted out of the CCT tower and headed straight to the air-docks. Bullheads were already waiting for Huntsmen and Huntresses to board so they could deal with the situation. Teams SSSN and ABRN were already aboard two Bullheads of their own. Ruby was getting flashbacks of the breach back in Vale, only with less Grimm but something told her that was going to change. Panic, fear, grief. It'd be like a flare to the monsters. They needed to end this and quickly.

The White Fang officer looked down at the carnage and grinned under his mask. "Now that's what I like to see lads!"

"Sir!" one of the White Fang agents not involved in the attack called over the radio.

"What is it mate?"

"The police have sent out officers! The men should be able to handle them but there are three Bullheads headed for Olympus Square right now! They're coming from Haven!"

"Huntsmen. Damn it, it's too soon. Just keep shooting! And get some molotovs in there too! Burn the bastards!"

"Yes sir!"

The officer then tunned his earpiece radio to the frequency Neo was using.

"Neo! We got Huntsmen inbound! How's it goin' on your end?"

"Sir!" came the voice of a female Faunus, "Miss Neo's asked me to be her interpreter for now! She says we're inside and we're currently dealing with the security teams! Neo's going up ahead to try and disable the cameras!"

"Tell 'er to hurry up! We need that Bullhead!"

"She says we're working on it sir!"

As if on cue, the three Bullheads arrived and dropped off their Hunter passengers. The officer cursed under his breath and called them back up. "Neo! We are OUT of time! The Huntsmen are here! Three fulls teams of em! Look, I'm gonna try and 'old em off. Just get that ship!" The bear Faunus then extends the blade of his weapon and jumped down the side of the building. He used his blade to slow his descent as he stabbed the side of the building with it and landed on his feet.

"Ok lads and ladies...who's ready to die?" the Faunus said to himself as he ran towards the square.

In the square, teams RNJR, SSSN, and ABRN were fighting against the White Fang grunts and their new firepower.

"Where did the Fang gets these kinds of weapons? I've never seen anything like them," Sage commented as he headbutted one of the grunts and disarmed them.

"They're the guns the Fourth Legion uses. I recognize them from Arroyo!" Ren said as he slashed through another of the grunt's weapon and kicked him the face, breaking his Grimm mask.

Reese Chloris of team ABRN rammed another grunt with her hoverboard and slammed him into a wall. "Ok, you guys GOTTA tell us about this! I have NO idea what you're talking about!"

"Later!" Jaune called out as he shield bashed yet another grunt, breaking their mask in the process.

While they were fighting, another ship docked and two people jumped off, looking at the massive pillar of smoke.

"We're not here even five seconds...and already something's exploded. Well at least we know where to look," one of them said as she cracked her knuckles. "I'm ready to get back in the fight."

Back in Olympus Square, Cinder and Juno had arrived as well to help deal with the White Fang. Some of them had rushed into a hotel building and taken hostages. Juno readied her triple bladed glaives and placed them on the two empty slots now on her gloves. The throwing weapons shifted their blades until they were aligned in a row, turning into claws. Cinder summoned her dual glass swords, thanks to Juno never turning the Aura cancelling handcuffs back on.

"I'm telling you this is a WASTE of precious time!" Cinder said, following Juno into the hotel.

"I know! You've said that for the past 10 minutes!" Juno retorted as she broke down the door.

"Ten men inside the hotel. Four with hostages. We each take two."

"I thought you said it was a waste of time."

"Might as well be professional about wasting our time." Cinder rushed off after two of the hostage takers. She came across a White Fang gunman and ran him through with her blades, getting blood on her cheek as she drew the weapons out. Before the corpse could even hit the ground, she rushed off to find the hostages. She found them in the massive dining hall of the hotel. Two grunts had taken two random people hostage and held their guns to their heads. The first thing Cinder did was summon two arrows and fired both of them, impaling the two Faunus in the chests. Two more White Fang aimed their guns at her only for two more arrows to find their way into the eye slots of their masks, blood streaming down their faces before they fell over dead.

Cinder looked at the two hostages and spoke, "Go. Now."

Juno had found the White Fang hostage takers as well, barricaded in a hotel room on the fifth floor. She didn't see any other way in without the hostages getting bullets in their heads. She was able to sense something else in the room though...something she could use. It wasn't to help her Semblance but rather another power. Her Maiden power. To be specific, she is the Spring Maiden and as such has an affinity with plants, most notably controlling them.

Juno let out a silent sigh and closed her eyes, concentrating. When she opened them again, they were glowing a bright green. She held her hand outwards and terrorists never knew what hit them when roots wrapped around their waists and arms, disarming them and hoisting them into the air. Juno then moved her hand around and the roots followed suit. A few quick smacks into the wall and ceiling were all that was needed to take the Faunus out of the fight. One more quick strike from the root smashed through the barricade and her glowing eyes dimmed. She walked in and checked on the hostages. Aside from being a bit shake, they were fine.

Meanwhile, Ruby was still outside and had just sent one of the White Fang flying into the canal after slicing through his shotgun. She had been separated from the others when they went after some of the fleeing White Fang; she was just dealing with any stragglers. She felt someone tap her on the shoulder and sighed in relief.

"About time you got back Jaune," the silver-eyed girl said as she turned to meet the person, only for a fist to send her flying across the square.

"Not even close to your knight in shinin' armor love. If anything...I'm a psychopath, a high functioning psychopath," the Faunus officer said as he readied his weapon. "Know what this is love? An old railroad tool. People used to call it a 'stake driver'. Nasty thing...especially when it can cut your chest cavity wide open...with the push...of...a...button." As if to emphasize his point, he pressed a single button on the device that made it move straight forward and then having it jerk upwards, all in a clean fluid movement.

Unfortunately for Ruby, due to her letting her guard down, Crescent Rose slipped from her grasp and the punch dazed her long enough for the brute to close in on her, ready to deliver the killing blow.

"You know...I don't kill kids often...but I'll make an except for you. One of me mates was buried in Mountain Glenn cause o' you. If only I could bury you too...ah well...you play with the hand you're dealt!" He wound his arm back and was ready to deliver the killing blow...until he heard a new voice shout at him.

"GET AWAY FROM HER YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

"Wha-," the officer tried to say before he got a solid punch right to his side and was sent flying, crashing into the side of a building,his hat landing comically askew on his head.

"Ok...who...in the BLOODY HELL...thinks they got the bollocks?" the officer stood up and adjusted his hat.

"Hey, I might not have them, but that makes two of us, now doesn't it? After all, you needed to sucker punch someone in order to beat them."

Ruby's eyes lit up when she saw her sister, Yang Xiao Long, standing there with a new metal arm in a combat stance with Ember Celica on both of her arms. Though, the metal one had the shotgun gauntlet built in.

"Ohhhhh shite...," the officer muttered to himself. He tried to ready himself for a two on one fight but a shot from a pistol barely missed his head, causing him to yelp a bit as the sound being that close was a bit much for his Faunus ears.

"That was a warning shot...Jack," Blake said as she caught up with Yang, "Next time, wait for me, ok?"

"Heh, sorry," Yang chuckled.

The officer, now identified as simply "Jack" for now, cursed under his breath but still had his weapon ready. "Belladonna...both Adam and Sienna have offered a pretty penny to whoever brings in your lovely l'il head."

"Maybe they should come and try to take it themselves, Jack."

Jack growled before he got a call on the radio.

"Boss it's us! We got the Bullhead!" shouted the Faunus that Neo had chosen as her voice.

"'Bout time," Jack dusted himself off and looked back to Yang, Ruby, and Blake, "Sorry to leave you all on such short notice...but my job 'ere's done. I'll make sure to give Adam your regards Belladona! Ta!" Jack tipped his hat to the three and quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out a pulsating purple gemstone. He threw it behind him, opening a portal, and jumping through. Blake tried to stop him by shooting a few rounds at him but the portal closed and he was gone.

"Damn it," the Faunus ninja cursed under her breath.

"YANG! BLAKE!" Ruby shouted and tried to tackle Blake to the ground in a hug. The cat Faunus used her Semblance and let Yang get tackled instead, a small smirk forming on her lips.

"You're back! You're back, you're back, you're back, you're both BACK!" the crimson reaper shouted ecstatically.

"Like I'd ACTUALLY stay out of this fight. Especially when I hear my little sister fought an entire ARMY!" Yang said, getting to her feet and rustling Ruby's hair. "They grow up so fast don't they Blake?"

Ruby couldn't even be mad at the blonde for treating Ruby like a little kid right now. That was just Yang, and Ruby was more than happy to have her back.

"Ruby?" Blake spoke up.

"Yes Blake?" the silver-eyed girl turned to the cat Faunus with a smile.

"I...I just...wanted to apologize for leaving."

"Nope. No apology needed."

"Wait what?"

"I already forgave you Blake!"

Blake could only smile at the reaper.

Soon after, it seemed the White Fang had been dealt with and were being taken away by the police. The Hunters reunited with Ruby and were just as glad to see Yang and Blake. Well...almost all of them were.

"You know...I won't lie...for Spring, you're a damn good fighter," Cinder said, walking back with Juno.

"Not sure how to take that from you. Um...Cinder? You uh…," Juno said hesitantly. Cinder got the message and wiped the blood splatter off her cheek.

"Now then...ohhhhhhhh Dust...it's the bimbo and the ninja," Cinder sighed as soon as she saw the two Huntresses from Beacon.

Aside from Cinder, everyone was glad to see them.

"Wait a minute," Blake said, seeing Cinder out of the corner of her eye as everyone welcomed her back, "you...you're Cinder."

"You might want to have her explain the situation to you. We're not enemies anymore, Belladonna. Think of me as a...tactical asset against the Fourth Legion."

"So they're here too…"

"Wait...you met them?" Ruby asked.

"They knew where we live Ruby," Yang said softly, "they knew where we live...and they tried to kill me. They sent some guy who could hold his own against Dad...and...they sent him Ruby...they sent Adam."

"What?! Is Dad ok?!"

"Yeah...he's fine. I don't want to think about what would've happened if the general wasn't there."

"Wait, Ironwood was there?"

"Yeah! He PERSONALLY gave me this!" the blonde flexed her new prosthetic arm, "By the way...since Cindy here's the one RESPONSIBLE for that whole mess at Beacon...how about some payback?"

"Unless you want to lose more than an arm and a valuable source of intel...I advise against it," the Fall Maiden sneered, "And never call me 'Cindy' again."

"Guess the little 'field trip' is postponed a day huh?" Juno smirked,knowing how it much it annoyed Cinder.

 **(A/N: And there we go! Three quarters of team RWBY reunited! The Spring Maiden in action! The war for Mistral getting started with a terrorist attack with a new White Fang officer! Neo's new WF outfit! And a little bit of a hint as to why Cinder wants Belail's head on a stick. Next chapter will be the counter-attack against Belail and perhaps...Cinder will be reveal more of her story? Who knows? Also, little side note: the name of Belail's main base is a reference to the City of Dis from Dante's Inferno. As always, read, review, and enjoy.)**


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